The privacy policy must also be tailored to the particular company and industry. Information may be treated differently if required for particular uses rather than voluntarily given as part of customer surveys or transactions. Those differences should be stated in the privacy policy. For example, Web sites with chatrooms generally require personal information on the posting parties so that the rights of others in the chatrooms can be protected. Customers who understand their choices cannot accuse a company of being misled, and are often much more highly satisfied because they received what they expected.
Customers are also willing to give personal information when it is to receive a service they value.
A comprehensive privacy policy, once adopted, will have the force of contract against the company publishing the Web site, unless its terms limit the scope. Enforcement of privacy policies Following the guidelines of the FTC provides only the first step in creating a valid privacy policy. No matter how well intended, a privacy policy provides no protection to a company or the public unless it is followed. To the contrary, failure to follow a policy once adopted and published to the public may result in liability for breach of contract or for allegations of deceptive trade practices. For example, GeoCities, a popular Web site for virtual communities, was forced to settle with the FTC after being accused of deceptive trade practices.