Data Privacy
Data privacy is a branch of data protection that deals with the proper handling, processing, storage, and usage of personal information.
Core Principles: 1. Transparency (tell users what you're doing). 2. Purpose Limitation (only use data for what you said). 3. Accuracy (keep data up to date). 4. Storage Limitation (don't keep it longer than needed). Major Laws: GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA (Health), LGPD (Brazil).
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🧒 Explain Like I'm 5
Imagine you are at a party and someone asks for your phone number. Data Security is like having a lock on your phone so nobody can steal it. [Data Privacy](/en/terms/data-privacy) is you deciding whether you actually want to give that person your number, and if you do, telling them they aren't allowed to give it to anyone else or call you after midnight. It's about you having the power to choose what people know about you.
🤓 Expert Deep Dive
Technically, data privacy is implemented through 'Privacy-Enhancing Technologies' (PETs). These include 'Differential Privacy' (adding mathematical noise to datasets so individual records can't be identified), 'Homomorphic [Encryption](/en/terms/homomorphic-encryption)' (performing calculations on encrypted data without ever decrypting it), and 'Zero-Knowledge Proofs' (proving you have a certain piece of info without revealing the info itself). A core architectural principle is 'Data Minimization'—never collecting more data than is strictly necessary for a specific task. This reduces the 'Attack Surface' and the liability of the company in case of a breach. Modern 'Consent Management Platforms' (CMPs) allow companies to track user preferences across different regions and languages, ensuring that 'Opt-in' and 'Opt-out' requests are respected in real-time across all servers.