7 Website Compliance Requirements in 2025

In today’s digital landscape, website compliance is no longer optional. It is critical to running a successful online presence, ensuring that your website adheres to legal, ethical, and technical standards. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of website compliance requirements for 2025, offering actionable steps to ensure your website meets the legal and ethical obligations of today’s digital economy.

Website compliance refers to the process of ensuring that a website adheres to applicable laws, standards, and regulations. These requirements often encompass:

• User privacy: Adhering to laws like CCPA, GDPR, and CalOPPA to protect personally identifiable information (PII).
• Accessibility: Ensuring inclusivity for users with disabilities under regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508.
• Transparency: Providing clear disclosures and securing cookie consent.
• Security: Implementing safeguards to protect against personal data breaches.

Failure to comply with legal compliance requirements for a website can result in financial penalties, reputational damage, and restricted market access.

A privacy policy is a vital document that ensures transparency in how your website collects, processes, and shares user’s personal data. Compliance with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and CalOPPA makes privacy policies legally mandatory for most websites, especially those interacting with users from regulated jurisdictions.

What to include in a privacy policy

• Data collection: Specify what types of data are collected (e.g. cookies, IP addresses, or credit card details).
• Purpose of use: Explain why data is collected, such as for analytics, marketing, or improving services.
• Third-party sharing: Detail any integrations with external platforms like social media or analytics tools.
• User rights: Outline how users can access, delete, or modify their data.

Cookies are small data files stored on a user’s browser, enabling websites to remember preferences, track activity, and improve functionality. While cookies are essential for many website operations, their use must comply with data privacy laws like GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, which prioritise transparency and user consent.

Steps to ensure cookie compliance:

• Consent banners: Display a clear banner allowing users to accept or reject cookies.
• Disclosure: Disclose all the necessary details about the cookies to assist with the decision-making.
• Granular preferences: Let users choose specific cookie categories (e.g. analytics or marketing).
• Withdrawal options: Provide easy ways for users to withdraw consent.

A Consent Management Platform (CMP) simplifies cookie compliance by automating consent collection and providing detailed records for audits. Key features include:

• Customizable banners matching your website’s branding.
• Automatic categorisation of cookies detected on your site.
• Built-in compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other regional regulations.

Accessibility ensures websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities, meeting legal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Non-compliance risks lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage.

Key accessibility features include

• Assistive technologies: Ensure compatibility with screen readers and text magnifiers.
• Colour contrast: Maintain a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for readability.
• Keyboard navigation: Allow navigation without a mouse.
• Alt text: Add descriptive text for images to support visually impaired users.

To ensure ADA compliance, start by auditing your website to identify accessibility issues. Follow WCAG 2.1 guidelines by implementing POUR principles. Additionally, train your team, including developers and designers, to adopt accessibility best practices during design and development processes.

Boston Dynamics demonstrates a commitment to accessibility by implementing advanced web accessibility tools, such as the AccessiBe Accessibility Adjustments Interface visible on their website.

An ADA-compliant website protects your business from legal risks, expands your audience by supporting users with disabilities, and improves SEO and user experience by enhancing usability with features like alt text for images.

Strong security measures are critical for protecting sensitive data and ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS. This involves safeguarding PII and credit card data from breaches, fraud, and unauthorised access. For example, encrypting all payment data ensures PCI DSS compliance while mitigating risks of fraud during online transactions.

Best practices for data security:

• Encryption: Use HTTPS for secure data transmission.
• Access controls: Limit access to sensitive data through role-based permissions.
• Incident response: Develop a breach response plan to notify affected users and regulators promptly.
• Regular Audits: Perform routine security audits to identify vulnerabilities and address them proactively. 

Legal disclosures are critical for complying with laws like CalOPPA and the Consumer Rights Act, helping establish transparency, clarify responsibilities, and build trust with your audience. They set clear expectations for users while protecting your business from potential legal disputes.

What to include in legal disclosures:

• Terms of service: Define acceptable usage, user responsibilities, and liability limits.
• Refund policies: For eCommerce websites, specify return procedures and timelines.
• Contact information: Provide a phone number, email, and physical address for inquiries.

Placing legal disclosures in your website footer ensures easy visibility and accessibility for users. Using concise, user-friendly language improves comprehension, while regularly reviewing and updating disclosures helps keep them aligned with changes in your services or applicable laws.

Protecting your site’s content and respecting the intellectual property rights of others is essential for compliance, as copyright infringement is a frequent legal issue for websites. Failure to address this can lead to fines, legal disputes, and reputational damage.

Best practices include:

• Use licensed or royalty-free content: Ensure all images, videos, and music used on your site are properly licensed or sourced from royalty-free platforms.
• Add copyright disclaimers: Clearly state ownership of proprietary materials, typically in the footer or on relevant pages, to deter unauthorised use.
• Monitor for unauthorised use: Regularly scan for misuse of your content on other platforms or websites to address potential violations promptly.

E.g. Apply watermarks to all original photos shared on your site to discourage unauthorised sharing while maintaining proper attribution for your work.

Different industries face specific compliance obligations to address their unique legal and operational requirements:

• Healthcare websites: Must comply with HIPAA to ensure the secure handling of patient data, including encryption, access controls, and breach notification protocols.
• Financial websites: Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), these sites must provide transparent information about fees, risks, and terms, ensuring ethical practices in financial transactions.
• Ecommerce websites: Governed by the Consumer Rights Act, which mandates clear pricing, accurate product descriptions, and straightforward refund policies to protect consumer rights.

To navigate these requirements effectively, consult legal experts familiar with your industry’s regulations to ensure comprehensive compliance and reduce the risk of penalties or reputational harm.

Website compliance is essential for protecting your users, avoiding penalties, and ensuring a secure, accessible digital experience. By addressing key areas like privacy, accessibility, and security, you can foster trust and maintain a competitive edge. Start your compliance journey today with tools like consent management platforms and accessibility checkers.