Privacyfriendly

Privacyfriendly is an adjective used to describe processes, products, or policies that are designed to protect individuals' privacy and reduce the collection, use, and sharing of personal data. In technology, privacyfriendly designs aim to give users control, minimize data collection by default, use strong security measures, and be transparent about data practices.

Key principles include data minimization, purpose limitation, informed consent, transparency about data handling, privacy-by-design and privacy-by-default, and strong protections such as encryption and secure defaults. Where possible, information should be processed locally or in a privacy-preserving manner (e.g., on-device processing, anonymization, pseudonymization). Open source software and verifiable implementations are often associated with privacyfriendly approaches because they allow independent scrutiny.

Examples of privacyfriendly implementations span web browsers with tracking protection, messaging apps with end-to-end encryption, search tools that avoid unnecessary profiling, and operating systems or devices that emphasize user control over permissions and telemetry. Privacyfriendly products may also employ privacy-preserving technologies such as differential privacy or secure multiparty computation.

The term is widely used in policy and industry discussions, but it is not a standardized label and can be used as marketing. It intersects with broader frameworks like privacy by design, data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR), and data minimization requirements. Benefits include increased user trust and regulatory compliance; challenges include potential trade-offs with usability or functionality, performance, cost, and the risk of vague or inconsistent claims.

See also: privacy by design, data minimization, consent, encryption, open source software.