permittingwho

Permittingwho is a term used in discussions of access control, authorization, and consent management to describe a design principle that centers on clearly identifying and authorizing which actor may perform a given action. The word combines permitting with who, emphasizing identity as the decisive factor in permission decisions.

Definition and scope: Permittingwho refers to methods and policies that require explicit declaration of the actor alongside the permitted action, enabling precise auditing and accountability. In practice, it involves tying permissions to authenticated identity, roles, attributes, or credentials and applying those permissions to concrete actions on resources. This approach supports transparent decision-making and easier traceability in security and privacy workflows.

Applications and patterns: In software systems, permittingwho supports identity-based access control, policy-based governance, and consent flows in APIs and data sharing. It is discussed in relation to privacy-by-design, data minimization, and security models that resist privilege escalation. Implementation patterns include policy languages and models such as ABAC (attribute-based access control), RBAC (role-based access control), and capability-based security, all oriented toward answering who is allowed to do what, under which conditions, and to which data.

History and usage: The term appears in online privacy and security discussions as a descriptive concept rather than a formal standard. It is not yet part of established nomenclature, but it emphasizes the centrality of identity in authorization decisions.

See also: access control, authorization, identity and access management, consent management, privacy by design.