Website legal notices: what the law requires

I am frequently asked about the legal notices required on a website. It is important to distinguish between mandatory legal notices, those that are useful but optional, and other documents that may appear on the site.

Mandatory legal notices for all websites

Under the French LCEN (Loi pour la Confiance dans l’Économie Numérique), every website must include a minimum set of information enabling visitors to identify those responsible for the published content. This is particularly important because the site’s content may infringe a third party’s rights, and that party must have means of recourse.

Legal notices must include the publisher’s corporate details: company name, legal form, registered office, SIRET number, contact details (telephone, email), and VAT number where applicable. For an individual, name and address must appear. A publication director must also be designated.

The hosting provider’s details must also be included: name, registered office, SIRET. Any information relating to a regulated activity must be stated (for example, lawyers must include their bar association).

The legal notices page must be easily accessible, typically via a link in the footer.

Failure to include these notices is punishable by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of €75,000 for individuals or €375,000 for legal entities.

Personal data and cookies

Since the GDPR came into force in 2018, prior registration with the CNIL is no longer required. However, if your site collects personal data, you must inform visitors about the nature of the data collected, the purpose of processing, the legal basis, retention periods, and data subjects’ rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection). This information is typically set out in a dedicated privacy policy.

If cookies are used on the site, a consent banner must be displayed on the first visit, in accordance with CNIL guidance.

Intellectual property notices: useful but not mandatory

It is common to see intellectual property notices on the legal notices page. These have limited legal effect but may provide a preliminary indication of ownership in the event of infringement by a third party. Their evidentiary value remains low, however, and copyright and trademark protection should be secured through other means.

Other documents to include: terms and conditions

If your website provides a platform to users or sells products, terms and conditions are essential. These documents set out the terms of sale, payment and use. Where products or services are sold to consumers (B2C), specific consumer protection provisions must be included (right of withdrawal, mediation, etc.). For SaaS vendors, see the article on SaaS terms and self-service.

Conclusion

Legal notices are not a formality to be taken lightly. The penalties are significant, and your customers and partners pay attention to them. If you need to verify or update your website’s legal notices, book a call.

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