With growing public concern over digital privacy, developers must understand the legal landscape that governs how user data is collected, stored, and processed. Ignorance isn’t just risky—it can lead to fines and loss of trust.
Major data privacy laws:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) – EU
- Requires consent for data collection.
- Right to be forgotten.
- Must notify users of data breaches within 72 hours.
- Heavy fines for non-compliance (up to €20M or 4% of annual revenue).
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) – USA
- Gives users the right to know, delete, and opt out of data sales.
- Applies to businesses with California customers and revenue thresholds.
- PIPEDA – Canada
- Requires organizations to obtain consent for data use.
- Must provide access and correction capabilities to individuals.
- LGPD – Brazil
- Similar to GDPR, with a focus on user consent and data processing principles.
Developer responsibilities:
- Store only necessary data.
- Encrypt sensitive fields.
- Use secure and privacy-respecting cookies.
- Provide opt-out and deletion features.
- Maintain audit logs and clear privacy policies.
Privacy laws are evolving. Developers should work closely with legal teams and use Privacy by Design principles from the outset of any project.