Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
Remove the vulnerability principle, and move the section to Section 1. (
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
#367)

* Remove the vulnerability principle, and move the section to Section 1.

Per discussion at https://github.com/w3ctag/privacy-principles/blob/main/meetings/2023-10-25-minutes.md#345-vulnerability.

* Fix pluralization.
  • Loading branch information
jyasskin authored Nov 8, 2023
1 parent 6874866 commit 7dd3a4f
Showing 1 changed file with 72 additions and 87 deletions.
159 changes: 72 additions & 87 deletions index.html
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -755,6 +755,78 @@
and choice</i>", which, in today's digital environment, is often an indication that
[=inappropriate=] [=processing=] is being described.

## Vulnerability {#vulnerability}

Sometimes particular groups are classed as “vulnerable” (e.g. children, or the
elderly), but anyone could become privacy vulnerable in a given context.
A [=person=] may not realise when they disclose personal data that
they are vulnerable or could become vulnerable.

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to privacy risks or harm as a result of
collection, misuse, loss or theft of personal data because:

* of their attributes, interests, opinions or behaviour;
* of the situation or setting (e.g. where there is information asymmetry or other
power imbalances);
* they lack the capacity to fully assess the risks;
* choices are not presented in an easy-to-understand meaningful way (e.g. [=deceptive
patterns=]);
* they have not been consulted about their privacy needs and expectations;
* they have not been considered in the decisions about the design of the
product or service.

Additional privacy protections may be needed for personal data of vulnerable
people or [sensitive information](#hl-sensitive-information) which could cause
someone to become vulnerable if their personal data is collected, used or
shared (e.g. blocking tracking elements, sensor data or information about
installed software or connected devices).

While sometimes others can help vulnerable people assess privacy risks and
make decisions about privacy (such as parents, [=guardians=] and peers), everyone
has their own right to privacy.

### Guardians {#guardians}

Some [vulnerable people](#vulnerability) need a <dfn>guardian</dfn> to help them make good
decisions about their own web use (e.g. children, with their parents often
acting as their [=guardians=]). A person with a [=guardian=] is known as
a <dfn>ward</dfn>.

The [=ward=] has a right to make informed decisions and exercise their
autonomy regarding their right to privacy. Their [=guardian=] has an
_obligation_ to help their [=ward=] do so when the [=ward=]'s abilities aren't
sufficient, even if that conflicts with the [=guardian=]'s desires. In
practice, many [=guardians=] do not make decisions in their [=ward=]'s best
interest, and it's critical that web platform technologies do not exacerbate
the risks inherant in this situation.

[=User agents=] should balance a benevolent [=guardian=]'s need to protect
their [=ward=] from dangers, against a [=ward=]'s need to protect themself
if they have a malicious [=guardian=].

[=User agents=] can protect vulnerable [=wards=] by complying with the principles in
[[[#device-administrators]]], and may only provide information about a [=ward=]
to a [=guardian=] for the purpose of helping that [=guardian=] uphold their
responsibilities to their [=ward=]. The mechanism for doing so must include
measures to help [=wards=] who realize that their [=guardian=] isn't acting in
the [=ward=]'s interest.

<aside class="example" id="example-protective-parent" title="Protective parents">

A parent might configure a small child's [=user agent=] to block access to violent content until the
child is old enough to make their own decisions about it.

</aside>

<aside class="example" id="example-lgbt-kid" title="An LGBT child">

A child may discover that they're LGBT and need to find supportive resources online. If they have a
homophobic or transphobic parent, that parent might have configured their [=user agent=] to either
block or inform the parent when the child visits web pages about LGBT-related subjects. The [=user
agent=] needs to warn the child about how it's configured so that the child can know to ask a better
[=guardian=] for access to the help they need.

</aside>

## Collective Governance {#collective}

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1669,93 +1741,6 @@
* Enabling users to filter out or hide information or media based on tags or content warnings.
</aside>

## Vulnerability {#vulnerability}

<div class="issue">This section is still being refined. We expect additional principles to be added.</div>

<div class="practice" data-audiences="websites user-agents api-designers">
<p>
<span class="practicelab" id="principle-vulnerability">
[=User agents=] and [=sites=] should continue working if a user chooses
stronger privacy protections, to help to protect vulnerable people.
Specifications, implementations, and sites should allow for graceful
degradation of features which may be incompatible with stronger
privacy protections.
</span>
</p>
</div>

Sometimes particular groups are classed as “vulnerable” (e.g. children, or the
elderly), but anyone could become privacy vulnerable in a given context.
A [=person=] may not realise when they disclose personal data that
they are vulnerable or could become vulnerable.

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to privacy risks or harm as a result of
collection, misuse, loss or theft of personal data because:

* of their attributes, interests, opinions or behaviour;
* of the situation or setting (e.g. where there is information asymmetry or other
power imbalances);
* they lack the capacity to fully assess the risks;
* choices are not presented in an easy-to-understand meaningful way (e.g. [=deceptive
patterns=]);
* they have not been consulted about their privacy needs and expectations;
* they have not been considered in the decisions about the design of the
product or service.

Additional privacy protections may be needed for personal data of vulnerable
people or [sensitive information](#hl-sensitive-information) which could cause
someone to become vulnerable if their personal data is collected, used or
shared (e.g. blocking tracking elements, sensor data or information about
installed software or connected devices).

While sometimes others can help vulnerable people assess privacy risks and
make decisions about privacy (such as parents, [=guardians=] and peers), everyone
has their own right to privacy.

### Guardians {#guardians}

Some [vulnerable people](#vulnerability) need a <dfn>guardian</dfn> to help them make good
decisions about their own web use (e.g. children, with their parents often
acting as their [=guardians=]). A person with a [=guardian=] is known as
a <dfn>ward</dfn>.

The [=ward=] has a right to make informed decisions and exercise their
autonomy regarding their right to privacy. Their [=guardian=] has an
_obligation_ to help their [=ward=] do so when the [=ward=]'s abilities aren't
sufficient, even if that conflicts with the [=guardian=]'s desires. In
practice, many [=guardians=] do not make decisions in their [=ward=]'s best
interest, and it's critical that web platform technologies do not exacerbate
the risks inherant in this situation.

[=User agents=] should balance a benevolent [=guardian=]'s need to protect
their [=ward=] from dangers, against a [=wards=]' need to protect themselves
if they have a malicious [=guardian=].

[=User agents=] can protect vulnerable [=wards=] by complying with the principles in
[[[#device-administrators]]], and may only provide information about a [=ward=]
to a [=guardian=] for the purpose of helping that [=guardian=] uphold their
responsibilities to their [=ward=]. The mechanism for doing so must include
measures to help [=wards=] who realize that their [=guardian=] isn't acting in
the [=ward=]'s interest.

<aside class="example" id="example-protective-parent" title="Protective parents">

A parent might configure a small child's [=user agent=] to block access to violent content until the
child is old enough to make their own decisions about it.

</aside>

<aside class="example" id="example-lgbt-kid" title="An LGBT child">

A child may discover that they're LGBT and need to find supportive resources online. If they have a
homophobic or transphobic parent, that parent might have configured their [=user agent=] to either
block or inform the parent when the child visits web pages about LGBT-related subjects. The [=user
agent=] needs to warn the child about how it's configured so that the child can know to ask a better
[=guardian=] for access to the help they need.

</aside>

## Purpose limitation

<div class="practice" data-audiences="websites user-agents">
Expand Down

0 comments on commit 7dd3a4f

Please sign in to comment.