Where to put smart device privacy notices
Provide privacy information when collecting personal information from the user. For a device with little or no screen, plan packaging signposts, setup notices and a companion app or browser page that people can revisit. Cambridge China Bridge can help coordinate the factory artwork and sample checks.
Map collection before choosing notice locations
Privacy information must be provided when you collect personal information from the person concerned. Ask the supplier to demonstrate what the device, companion app and cloud service collect during pairing, account creation and ordinary use. Record where collection starts, then place the relevant explanation at that point.
Agree who supplies the privacy wording and who controls each display location. Keep security documentation work alongside this review using our connectable product security guide. Give the privacy reviewer the actual product behaviour, rather than only the factory’s generic policy.
Use packaging as an early signpost
For your packaging brief, put a short privacy signpost near the setup instructions. Describe the main connected functions and direct the buyer to product-specific information using a readable web address and a scannable code. Make clear which model the information covers.
Treat this as a practical placement recommendation, rather than a prescribed packaging format. Check the printed sample, not just the artwork file: open the destination, confirm it works without an account, and see whether a person can find the information without scanning. Plan another route for users who never see the box.
Show the explanation during setup and feature use
Walk through setup on a fresh sample. Put the explanation beside the relevant account field or activation control, so collection does not run ahead of the notice. Check whether switching on the device starts sending information before the companion app is opened.
For later features such as location-based automation or cloud recording, include a short explanation at activation with access to fuller detail. Explain why the feature needs the information. Ask the software supplier to flag changes that affect these notices; use our firmware and software approval guide to organise version approval.
Make the companion app and layered notice usable
Keep a clearly labelled privacy entry in the companion app and provide a browser route for devices without an app. Start with a short product-specific summary, then link directly to detail about collection, purposes, sharing, retention and user requests. Avoid sending readers through repeated menus to reach the answer.
Test readable text, contrast, screen-reader navigation and descriptive link labels. Provide text alongside any spoken explanation. Check the journey as an additional household user as well as the account owner, including someone who uses the device without creating an account.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Approve the complete notice journey before production
Ask for a review pack containing packaging artwork, setup screens, companion app screens, notice destinations and the software version used for the demonstration. Test these together on the sample. Save the approved wording and screenshots so later production changes can be compared with them.
Assign ownership of the notice page and its maintenance before approving printed links. For cameras, also review the product-specific sourcing questions in our security camera guide. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can check agreed artwork and sample behaviour against your brief; your privacy reviewer should approve the explanation of actual data use.
Frequently asked questions
Does a screenless smart device need privacy information?
Yes, when personal information is collected from the user. Plan a usable route through setup, the companion app or a browser page, rather than relying on an on-device display.
Can we put the privacy notice only on the box?
Do not rely on the box alone. Information must be provided when personal information is collected from the user. Check setup and later feature activation, and keep a route people can revisit.
Is a scannable code enough for the packaging?
Use it as a signpost and test the destination. Add a readable web address and a clear description of what it opens, so access does not depend entirely on scanning.
What should we ask the Chinese factory to demonstrate?
Ask for the collection points, setup screens, companion app notices, printed links and later feature prompts on the proposed software version. Compare the demonstration with the approved review pack.