ICO publishes privacy in the product design lifecycle guidance

Eagle-eyed observers may have spotted an under-the-radar post from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) last Thursday, 23 February. In the interest of full disclosure, we're happy to hold our hands up and admit we missed it too, initially, at least. So, anyway, the post. 

The ICO has published new guidance for technology professionals (UX designers, software engineers, QA testers, and product managers) about following privacy-by-design (PbD) best practices when developing new products or services. The privacy in the product design lifecycle guidance, which follows the publication of the Tech Horizons Report and the ICO's PbD consultation, is intended to supplement the ICO's more detailed Data Protection by Design and Default guidance. 

The latest PdP guidance looks at seven steps technology providers should follow in order to comply with data protection laws when developing new products. These are: 

• The case for privacy
• Privacy in the kick-off stage
• Privacy in the research stage
• Privacy in the design stage
• Privacy in the development stage
• Privacy in the launch phase 
• Privacy in the post-launch phase

UPDATE: 130323 - The ICO has now formally announced its privacy in the product design lifecycle resource. Stephen Almond, ICO Director of Technology, Innovation and Enterprise, said, "the new guidance is part of the ICO’s commitment to helping organisations throughout the UK embed privacy in everything they do. Written in consultation with working technologists, it offers some certainty on what you must, should and could do to address privacy concerns in the product lifecycle. Beyond helping to comply with the law, we hope that these resources also emphasise the fundamental importance of privacy in our products and services."