Automatically create a Privacy Policy page when installing WordPress

[fclaussen]

1. Install WordPress
2. Add a Privacy Policy page just like Sample Page. Possibly add a special page status like 'front-page' 'blog posts'
3. Add a privacy policy selector to options-reading or customizer like front page and blog posts
4. Under tools we have the actual tools for exporting user data, anonymization of data and so on.

What I'm proposing is that this type of page is important. Specially now. So we need to pay proper attention to it.

[mikejolley]

This sounds like the same thing as https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/43389?

[fclaussen]

Replying to mikejolley:

This sounds like the same thing as https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/43389?

More or less.. the decision right now seems to be having the page picker under tools.
#43389 also doesn't mention the possibility of having a privacy policy page being added on first install.

[mikejolley]

Hmm. I see. My question is what is worse for a new site.

a) A default privacy policy the user didn't write.
b) No privacy policy at all.

If a policy is general enough to avoid legal issues it could be useful. If it *needs* admin input, it should be manual.

[fclaussen]

I'm against a default privacy policy. The admin should write it. But presenting it along with Sample Page maybe is saying "Hey, this is important. Write something here".

Go to your settings and select the front page, blog page, privacy page and so on.

[azaozz]

Think we should do that. Creating a new page titled "Privacy Policy", setting the option for it, but keep it a draft. The default content can be something like:

(Edit this page to create your privacy policy.)

Then the user will not have to select or create it from the Tools => Privacy screen, and can edit it straight away (it will be in the pages list table).

[azaozz]

In 43491.patch: add a page for the privacy policy on install, similarly to the sample page.

[allendav]

Updating title to "Automatically create a Privacy Policy page when installing WordPress" per ticket scrub discussion in Making WordPress gdpr-compliance chat today.

[dejliglama]

• The page could be pre-populated with the policy texts from WP core.

• Using WP's standard page versioning system to inform website owners of changes to the page, when policy texts update from WP core - or other plugins for that matter, seems as a good idea. Though a bit of a new way of using the versioning system in this usecase:

1. User sees new drafted policy page uppon install.
2. User does litel or no changes and publish the page
3. WP core updates policy text (page does not go back into draft)
4. Updated text oges in to revision +1 (one step ahead of current version)
5. Admin is alerted that a page holds a new version that is yet to be published
6. Admin reviews changes, edits and publish.

One question: could step 4 be implemented using The Customizer feature: scheduling with no set date, but awaiting review ?

[fclaussen]

What @dejliglama suggested is important. Every time this page is published, we need to alert users of an updated privacy policy page and seek reconsent.

I already do that on the plugin with a notice that says something like "If this was just a typo fix you can dismiss this, if not you should seek reconsent"

But that goes into the consent management component, which we don't have for core and I don't know if we will ever have.

To me, this particular feature should be plugin based.

[dejliglama]

@melchoyce has some details going on in this trac : https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/43620

[azaozz]

In 42981:

Privacy: automatically create a Privacy Policy page when installing WordPress.

Props fclaussen, azaozz.

Fixes #43491.

[azaozz]

In 42982:

Fix typo (missing !).

See #43491.

[azaozz]

In 43243:

Privacy: make creating a privacy policy page on install multisite compatible.

See #43491.

[azaozz]

Reopen for 4.9.6 consideration.

[SergeyBiryukov]

In 43272:

Privacy: automatically create a Privacy Policy page when installing WordPress.

Props fclaussen, azaozz.
Merges [42981], [42982], [43243] to the 4.9 branch.
Fixes #43491.

[desrosj]

Moving to the new Privacy component.

[desrosj]

Dev note: ​https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/05/17/changes-that-affect-theme-authors-in-wordpress-4-9-6/.