Data Privacy & Compliance

We must protect our users' data and comply with global privacy frameworks like GDPR and CCPA.

1. Data Minimization

Never collect or store personal data that is not strictly necessary for the application's core functionality. If you don't store it, it can't be breached.

2. Hard vs. Soft Deletes (Right to be Forgotten)

When a user requests their account be deleted, we must balance their "Right to be Forgotten" against our need for financial/analytical integrity. - Soft Deletion: Do not perform a SQL DELETE on the user record. Instead, anonymize the PII fields (e.g., change name to Deleted User, email to deleted-123@example.com) and flip an is_deleted = true flag. - Orphaned Records: This ensures that linked records (like past orders or payments) do not break due to foreign key constraints, while successfully purging the user's personal identity.

3. Encryption at Rest

All databases must be configured to use encryption at rest. If a bad actor gains access to the physical hard drives, the data must remain unreadable.