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173 changes: 173 additions & 0 deletions .github/skills/project-planning/privacy-by-design/SKILL.md
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---
name: privacy-by-design
description: "Privacy by Design (PbD) knowledge base for assessing proactive privacy practices against the 7 Foundation Principles, with data retention and disposal lifecycle checks and cross-jurisdictional mappings (GDPR, CCPA, APP)."
license: mixed
user-invocable: false
metadata:
authors: "Ann Cavoukian (IPC Ontario — 7 Foundation Principles); GDPR Art. 25 (Data Protection by Design and by Default); OAIC (Australian Privacy Principles); Microsoft (planning synthesis)"
spec_version: "1.0"
framework_revision: "1.0.0"
last_updated: "2026-08-09"
content_based_on: "https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/resources/7foundationalprinciples.pdf; https://gdpr-info.eu/art-25-gdpr/; https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles"
---

# Privacy by Design — Skill Entry

This `SKILL.md` is the **entrypoint** for the Privacy by Design skill.

The skill encodes the **7 Foundation Principles of Privacy by Design** (Cavoukian, 2009) as structured, machine-readable references that the Privacy Planner and Privacy Reviewer agents can query to identify, assess, and improve adherence to proactive privacy practices across the software lifecycle. It extends the existing `privacy-standards` skill with principle-level assessment criteria, data retention and disposal checklists, cross-jurisdictional regulatory mappings, a structured finding schema, and pragmatic implementation patterns for code-level verification.

> [!NOTE]
> This skill is a planning aid, not legal advice. Its standards summaries support privacy reasoning and review preparation; they do not substitute for qualified legal counsel or a formal regulatory interpretation.

## Goal

Produce a structured, evidence-based assessment of a system, feature, or data flow against the 7 PbD Foundation Principles, yielding per-principle PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL verdicts, severity-rated findings, actionable remediation guidance, and a backlog-ready handoff.

## Success criteria

- All 7 principles are assessed with a recorded verdict and severity.
- Each FAIL or PARTIAL finding includes a specific, actionable remediation.
- Findings use the structured schema defined in `finding-schema.md`.
- Cross-jurisdictional obligations are identified for the applicable regulatory scope.
- Retention and disposal are assessed for any system that stores personal data.
- An overall compliance verdict (COMPLIANT / PARTIALLY_COMPLIANT / NON_COMPLIANT) is determined.

## When to use this skill

Use when you need to:

- Assess a system, feature, or data flow against the 7 PbD Foundation Principles
- Verify that privacy is embedded proactively (not bolted on after incidents)
- Check data retention schedules, disposal methods, and legal hold procedures
- Map privacy requirements across GDPR Art. 25, CCPA/CPRA, and Australian Privacy Principles
- Generate per-principle PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL findings with severity ratings
- Identify code-level and configuration-level privacy patterns or anti-patterns
- Produce backlog items from privacy assessment findings

Do not use for:

- General privacy standards mapping without principle assessment (use `privacy-standards`)
- Security threat modeling (use `security-planning` or OWASP skills)
- RAI assessment (use `rai-planner`)
- Legal advice or regulatory compliance certification

## Stop rules

- Stop the assessment if the system boundary cannot be established.
- Stop and escalate if processing occurs in a jurisdiction not covered by this skill's mappings.
- Do not fabricate evidence; record INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE and note what is needed.
- Do not provide legal opinions; frame all findings as planning guidance requiring qualified review.
- Do not duplicate security findings that the `security-planning` skill already covers; cross-reference them.

## Normative references (PbD 7 Foundation Principles)

1. [00 Principle Index](references/00-principle-index.md)
2. [01 Proactive Not Reactive](references/01-proactive-not-reactive.md)
3. [02 Privacy as the Default](references/02-privacy-as-the-default.md)
4. [03 Privacy Embedded into Design](references/03-privacy-embedded-into-design.md)
5. [04 Full Functionality](references/04-full-functionality.md)
6. [05 End-to-End Security](references/05-end-to-end-security.md)
7. [06 Visibility and Transparency](references/06-visibility-and-transparency.md)
8. [07 Respect for User Privacy](references/07-respect-for-user-privacy.md)

## Operational references

- [Assessment Protocol](references/assessment-protocol.md) — step-by-step protocol for conducting a PbD assessment
- [Finding Schema](references/finding-schema.md) — structured output format for findings and backlog handoff
- [Implementation Patterns](references/implementation-patterns.md) — pragmatic code-level and architecture-level verification patterns

## Supplementary references

- [Data Retention and Disposal](references/data-retention-and-disposal.md) — Principle 05 deep-dive: retention schedules, disposal methods, legal holds
- [Cross-Jurisdictional Mapping](references/cross-jurisdictional-mapping.md) — regulatory equivalence matrix across GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and APP
- [Industry Privacy Profiles](references/industry-privacy-profiles.md) — sector-specific principle priorities, checks, and `.pbd-config.yml` customization

## Skill layout

- `SKILL.md` — this file (skill entrypoint).
- `references/` — the PbD normative documents, operational guides, and supplementary material.
- `00-principle-index.md` — index of all principle identifiers, categories, source mappings, and cross-references.
- `01` through `07` — one document per PbD Foundation Principle with checklist, controls, anti-patterns, and regulatory mappings.
- `assessment-protocol.md` — phased assessment protocol for agents conducting PbD reviews.
- `finding-schema.md` — YAML-based finding and summary schema for structured output.
- `implementation-patterns.md` — code-level and configuration-level patterns agents can verify.
- `data-retention-and-disposal.md` — Principle 05 deep-dive: retention schedules, disposal methods, legal holds.
- `cross-jurisdictional-mapping.md` — regulatory equivalence matrix across GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and APP.
- `industry-privacy-profiles.md` — telco, healthcare, financial sector profiles with `.pbd-config.yml` customization schema.

## Citation-field vocabulary

Use these fields when capturing a finding so the reviewer can assert a stable source-control reference:

- `pbd_principle`: Principle number (1–7) with short name, e.g., `PbD-01 Proactive Not Reactive`
- `gdpr_article`: GDPR article reference, e.g., `Art. 25`
- `app_principle`: Australian Privacy Principle number, e.g., `APP 1`
- `ccpa_section`: CCPA/CPRA section reference

## Finding severity conventions

| Severity | Meaning |
|----------|---------|
| HIGH | Principle is violated with direct risk to data subjects |
| MEDIUM | Principle is partially met; gaps exist that could lead to non-compliance |
| LOW | Minor gap; principle intent is largely met but documentation or controls could improve |

## Finding verdict conventions

| Verdict | Meaning |
|---------|---------|
| PASS | Principle is fully satisfied with observable evidence |
| PARTIAL | Some indicators met but gaps remain |
| FAIL | Principle is not satisfied; corrective action required |

## Overall assessment verdicts

| Verdict | Condition |
|---------|-----------|
| COMPLIANT | All 7 principles are PASS |
| PARTIALLY_COMPLIANT | No principles are FAIL but one or more are PARTIAL |
| NON_COMPLIANT | One or more principles are FAIL |

## Integration with Privacy Planner and Reviewer

This skill complements `privacy-standards` (which provides NIST PF, GDPR, CCPA, OWASP backbone). The Privacy Reviewer agent loads both skills:

- `privacy-standards` — standards mapping, data-flow reasoning, DPIA thresholds
- `privacy-by-design` — principle-level assessment, retention/disposal checks, cross-jurisdictional equivalence, implementation pattern verification

No agent modification is required; the agent loads this skill on demand when PbD assessment is invoked.

## Interaction with other skills

| Skill | Relationship |
|-------|--------------|
| `privacy-standards` | Provides data inventory, DPIA thresholds, and standards backbone; PbD builds on top |
| `security-planning` | Security controls overlap with PbD-05; reference rather than duplicate |
| `rai-planner` | RAI data-use concerns feed into PbD-04 (full functionality) and PbD-07 (user respect) |
| `secure-by-design` | SBD-11 (Secure Deprecation) aligns with PbD-05 lifecycle; cross-reference for decommissioning |

## Attribution and licensing posture

### Cavoukian PbD Foundation Principles

- **Author**: Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
- **Source**: <https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/resources/7foundationalprinciples.pdf>
- **Modifications**: Principles restructured into agent-consumable assessment checklists with cross-references to GDPR, CCPA, and APP; original principle text paraphrased with attribution
- **Note**: The 7 Foundation Principles are widely referenced in academic and regulatory literature; content here is paraphrased for planning use

### GDPR Art. 25 (Data Protection by Design and by Default)

- **Source**: <https://gdpr-info.eu/art-25-gdpr/>
- **Modifications**: Mapped to PbD principles as regulatory equivalence; paraphrased with attribution

### Australian Privacy Principles (APP)

- **Source**: <https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles>
- **Copyright**: © Commonwealth of Australia
- **Modifications**: Mapped to PbD principles as cross-jurisdictional equivalence; paraphrased with attribution

### CCPA/CPRA

- **Source**: <https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa>
- **Modifications**: Mapped to PbD principles as cross-jurisdictional equivalence; paraphrased with attribution
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---
title: Index of Privacy by Design Principles
description: Index of PbD principle identifiers, categories, regulatory mappings, and cross-references
---

# Index of Privacy by Design Principles

This document provides the index for the 7 Foundation Principles of Privacy by Design (Cavoukian, 2009). Each entry maps to regulatory equivalents across GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and Australian Privacy Principles.

## Principle catalog

| ID | Title | Category | GDPR Mapping | APP Mapping | CCPA/CPRA Mapping |
|--------|-------------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
| PbD-01 | Proactive Not Reactive | Prevention | Art. 25(1) | APP 1.2 | §1798.100 |
| PbD-02 | Privacy as the Default | Default Settings | Art. 25(2) | APP 3, APP 5 | §1798.100(b) |
| PbD-03 | Privacy Embedded into Design | Architecture | Art. 25(1) | APP 1.2 | §1798.100 |
| PbD-04 | Full Functionality | Positive-Sum | Art. 25(1) | APP 1.2 | §1798.100 |
| PbD-05 | End-to-End Security | Lifecycle Protection | Art. 25(1), Art. 32 | APP 11 | §1798.100(e) |
| PbD-06 | Visibility and Transparency | Openness | Art. 12–14 | APP 1, APP 5 | §1798.100(a) |
| PbD-07 | Respect for User Privacy | User-Centricity | Art. 12–22 | APP 6, APP 12 | §1798.120, §1798.185 |

## Cross-reference matrix

Each principle document follows a consistent structure:

1. Source mapping — Cavoukian original description and regulatory equivalents.
2. Description — what the principle covers and why it matters.
3. Principle checklist — observable indicators that the system adheres to the principle.
4. Controls and mitigations — defensive measures and implementation guidance.
5. Anti-patterns — common violations that indicate non-adherence.
6. Regulatory cross-references — mapped articles and sections from GDPR, APP, and CCPA/CPRA.

## Category groupings

### Prevention

- PbD-01 Proactive Not Reactive

### Default Settings

- PbD-02 Privacy as the Default

### Architecture

- PbD-03 Privacy Embedded into Design

### Positive-Sum

- PbD-04 Full Functionality

### Lifecycle Protection

- PbD-05 End-to-End Security

### Openness

- PbD-06 Visibility and Transparency

### User-Centricity

- PbD-07 Respect for User Privacy

## Supplementary documents

- [Data Retention and Disposal](data-retention-and-disposal.md) — deep-dive into Principle 05 lifecycle obligations
- [Cross-Jurisdictional Mapping](cross-jurisdictional-mapping.md) — regulatory equivalence matrix

## Source framework

### Cavoukian 7 Foundation Principles (2009)

Source: Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

The 7 Foundation Principles represent a proactive approach to privacy that anticipates and prevents privacy-invasive events before they happen, rather than waiting for risks to materialize:

1. Proactive Not Reactive; Preventative Not Remedial
2. Privacy as the Default Setting
3. Privacy Embedded into Design
4. Full Functionality — Positive-Sum, Not Zero-Sum
5. End-to-End Security — Full Lifecycle Protection
6. Visibility and Transparency — Keep It Open
7. Respect for User Privacy — Keep It User-Centric

Content paraphrased from the original publication with attribution. Source: <https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/resources/7foundationalprinciples.pdf>
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---
title: 'PbD-01: Proactive Not Reactive; Preventative Not Remedial'
description: Privacy by Design reference for anticipating and preventing privacy-invasive events before they occur
---

# 01 Proactive Not Reactive

Identifier: PbD-01
Category: Prevention

## Source mapping

- **Cavoukian Principle 1** — Proactive Not Reactive; Preventative Not Remedial
- **GDPR Art. 25(1)** — Data protection by design requiring appropriate technical and organisational measures
- **APP 1.2** — Open and transparent management of personal information
- **CCPA §1798.100** — Consumer right to know and business obligation to disclose

## Description

Privacy by Design anticipates and prevents privacy-invasive events before they happen. It does not wait for privacy risks to materialize, nor does it offer remedies for resolving privacy infractions once they have occurred. The approach requires organizations to act before the fact — building privacy protections into systems, processes, and business practices from the outset.

This principle shifts the organizational mindset from reactive incident response to proactive privacy architecture. Privacy risks are identified, assessed, and mitigated during design rather than discovered during post-deployment audits or breach investigations.

## Principle checklist

- Privacy impact assessments or reviews are conducted before system design decisions are finalized.
- Privacy risks are identified and documented during requirements gathering, not after deployment.
- A privacy threat model or risk register exists and is maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
- Privacy requirements are included in acceptance criteria for features involving personal data.
- There is a defined process for identifying new privacy risks when functionality changes.
- The team does not rely solely on incident response or breach notification as privacy controls.
- Privacy monitoring and telemetry detect potential issues before they affect data subjects.

## Controls and mitigations

1. Conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) or Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) before any new processing activity involving personal data.
2. Include privacy criteria in design review checklists and architecture decision records.
3. Maintain a privacy risk register updated at each design milestone.
4. Integrate privacy checks into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., data classification scanning, PII detection).
5. Establish privacy-specific threat modeling sessions alongside security threat modeling.
6. Define privacy acceptance criteria in user stories that involve personal data handling.
7. Monitor for privacy-relevant anomalies (unusual data access patterns, consent rate changes).

## Anti-patterns

- Privacy is considered only after a regulatory complaint or breach occurs.
- No privacy review exists in the design or architecture phase.
- Privacy requirements are treated as "nice to have" and deferred to future sprints.
- The only privacy control is a breach notification procedure.
- Privacy risks are identified exclusively through external audits rather than internal proactive review.
- Data collection decisions are made without assessing necessity or proportionality upfront.

## Regulatory cross-references

| Regulation | Reference | Relevance |
|------------|-----------|-----------|
| GDPR | Art. 25(1) | Requires implementing appropriate measures at the time of determination of means of processing |
| GDPR | Art. 35 | DPIA required for high-risk processing before processing begins |
| APP | APP 1.2 | Entities must take reasonable steps to implement practices that ensure compliance |
| CCPA/CPRA | §1798.100 | Businesses must inform consumers at or before point of collection |

---

Content paraphrased from Dr. Ann Cavoukian's 7 Foundation Principles of Privacy by Design (2009) with attribution. Regulatory mappings are planning references, not legal interpretations.
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