Privacy as a starting point
But what exactly is privacy by design? The privacy by design principle suggests that, during the initial stages of new products, services, or processes, you contemplate the most privacy-friendly solution.
It begins with the basics: privacy or data protection policies compel organizations to consider how they handle personal data. This policy outlines principles of data processing and data subject rights. Principles like data minimization (what data do we actually need?), proportionality (does the data we want to use align with the purpose?) and purpose limitation (data may only be processed for specific, documented purposes) are included.
Subsequently, it’s important to apply this policy and these principles during the initial design phase of any project. By doing so, each processing activity will adhere to your privacy policy, eliminating the need for post-design adjustments. Making post-design changes because the initial design was inadequate can lead to issues, and sometimes, it’s impossible to backtrack.
The solution for all your (privacy) problems
Privacy by design works, firstly, because it compels organizations to proactively consider risks and measures. By making the right choices in what measures you need upfront, you build your solution correctly from the start. This is advantageous for both cutting costs and the quality of data protection.
Embedding the privacy by design principle into your processes, secondly, makes it easier to comply with the GDPR. Guidelines related to data minimization, proportionality, purpose limitation, protection and accuracy are integrated right from the design phase.
Thirdly, the privacy by design principle ensures that employees become aware of the organization’s privacy standards, apply them within their own area of expertise, and can advocate for them across the organization. The likelihood of data breaches is reduced when colleagues understand how to handle personal data carefully.
Lastly, as an organization, you can always justify your choices. After all, you’ve considered principles like data minimization, protection and transparency and discussed their implementation early on. This allows you to explain to consumers, citizens or regulators which choices you made to handle personal data in a careful manner.
Curious about how to implement privacy by design effectively within your organization? Please get in touch with Laura Natrop.
