– cover: false header: overlay_color: “#000” overlay_filter: “0.35” overlay_image: /assets/headers/architecture.jpg og_image: /assets/images/bc-card.jpg title: Data Minization tagline: ‘Revealing Only What’s Needed” hide_description: true classes:

• wide permalink: /architecture/data-minimization/best-practices/ sidebar: nav:
  • dataminimization
  • archdesign

  • architecture

Understanding data minimization principles is one thing; implementing them effectively is another. Here’s how these principles translate into practical action with Gordian Envelopes:

Practical Implementation: Data Minimization

1. Create a Complete Source Document
   • Begin with a comprehensive envelope containing all possible information.
   • Use careful organization of assertions for later selective sharing.
   • Include both essential and contextual information.
2. Identify Context-Based Sharing Requirements
   • Define specific audiences and what each needs to know.
   • Create profiles for different sharing contexts (public, professional, trusted).
   • Determine what information is appropriate for each trust level.
3. Implement Through Elision
   • Sign documents before elision to maintain verifiability.
   • Use elision to create different views of the same document.
4. Visually Indicate Data Minimization

Using Gordian Envelope as an example, a professional profile shared in a public context would visually indicate elided content:

"BRadvoc8" [
   "name": "BRadvoc8"
   "publicKeys": ur:crypto-pubkeys/hdcx...
   "domain": "Distributed Systems & Security"
   ELIDED
   ELIDED
   ELIDED
]

The ELIDED markers make it clear to recipients that information has been intentionally minimized rather than simply omitted. This transparency builds trust by acknowledging the data minimization process.

For the technical details of how elision works cryptographically, see the Elision Cryptography document.

Data Minimization Best Practices

1. Purpose Analysis: Clearly identify why information is being shared and what the minimum required is.
2. Contextual Assessment: Consider the specific audience and their legitimate need to know.
3. Differential Disclosure: Create multiple views of the same information for different contexts.
4. Regular Review: Periodically assess whether previously shared information should be updated or withdrawn.
5. Transparency about Minimization: Make it clear when information has been minimized to set expectations.