why are legal and privacy pages needed

[Cloud]

Why would a simple brochure website require legal and privacy pages. When a website just contains details about a company and is not an online store why are these pages required. When a company has a brochure printed about them and their services, they do not have these additions to it.

I would like to know what everyone else thinks.

Kash

[steve.ledger]

Required by whom?
If the client asks for it - then it's required

[Cloud]

it's just that you see in some articles that it is required in a legal sense. Iv'e always thought that this didn't make any sense but some web designers insist that you must include them.

[steve.ledger]

I know of no legislation governing web design requirements.

[handrawn]

if you are collecting/storing personal information then in the EU you need to cover yourself under data protection legislation, and for that you would need advice from a specialist

this can cover things like blogs as well as retail operations

[Cloud]

so would this include enquiry forms such as in

http://www.askarii-events.com/contact-askarii.htm

[handrawn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998