Privacy by Design

Privacy by Design (PbD) is a framework and principle that integrates privacy and data protection considerations throughout the entire lifecycle of technologies, business practices, and systems—from initial design through development, deployment, and decommissioning. Developed by Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Privacy by Design is built on seven foundational principles: proactive not reactive; privacy as the default; privacy embedded into design; full functionality (positive-sum, not zero-sum); end-to-end security; visibility and transparency; and respect for user privacy. The concept requires thinking about privacy at the earliest stages rather than bolting on protections afterward. Privacy by Design means conducting privacy impact assessments before launching new products, minimizing data collection to only what's necessary, implementing privacy-protective defaults, building security into systems from the start, and giving users meaningful control over their data. The GDPR codifies Privacy by Design in Article 25, requiring data controllers to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure compliance and protect data subject rights. Organizations implementing Privacy by Design should establish privacy requirements early in development, train developers and product teams on privacy principles, conduct privacy reviews at each development stage, document privacy design decisions, and continuously assess privacy impacts as products evolve.