The Information Commissioner’s Office has launched a privacy notice generator to support small voluntary sector organisations to protect people’s information rights.

The data protection and information rights regulator’s online tool will help small charities and organisations within the voluntary sector to create a bespoke privacy notice for display on their website or in other communications.

Under data protection law, every organisation that holds people’s information is required to explain why it holds this data and what it does with it, which can be provided via a privacy notice.

The ICO said the tool could create tailored privacy notices relevant to small organisations in all sectors of the economy. 

Sections of the tool are specific to organisations in the voluntary sector, which will help them create up-to-date privacy notices to inform their supporters and website visitors what they do with their information.

The generator offers two different types of privacy notices – one for customer and supplier information, for display on websites or external communications, and one for staff and volunteer information, for inclusion in welcome packs, policy libraries or other internal channels accessed by these groups.

The ICO is also encouraging organisations that already have privacy notices to use the generator to check they are up to date.

Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses – which supported the generator’s development – said the tool would allow organisations to generate tailored privacy notices in “far less time and with far less hassle and cost than previously”.

She said: “Data protection is a vital component of consumer rights, reassuring customers that their personal information won’t be mistreated, and is something small firms are keen to get right. 

“By reducing small businesses’ cost of compliance, and the associated stress, the ICO’s tool should be a big help.”

Faye Spencer, head of business services at the ICO, said: “We’re always looking for ways to make data protection compliance simple and stress-free for smaller organisations, who tend to have less time and fewer resources. 

“Our new privacy notice generator does just that. It’s a quick and easy solution that provides organisations with the support they need, so they can concentrate on what they’re good at, serving the needs of their customers and growing their organisation.”