GDPR Compliance Guide
This document explains how an ORM framework and a data query framework can meet EU GDPR compliance requirements from a technical and architectural perspective.
It is intended for framework designers, platform architects, and technical compliance reviews, not as legal advice.
1. Why GDPR Matters at the Framework Level
GDPR compliance is not only a business or application-layer concern.
For ORM and data query frameworks, GDPR introduces platform-level responsibilities, because frameworks:
- Define how data is accessed by default
- Control how much data is returned
- Shape how easily misuse or over-collection can happen
- Determine whether compliance is easy or hard for application developers
A GDPR-ready framework makes non-compliant behavior technically difficult by default.
2. Core GDPR Principles Mapped to Framework Responsibilities
| GDPR Principle | Framework-Level Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Data Minimization | Avoid SELECT *, support field-level selection |
| Purpose Limitation | Track and constrain why data is accessed |
| Privacy by Default | Conservative defaults, explicit opt-in for sensitive data |
| Accountability | Automatic audit logging |
| Right of Access | Full, structured data export |
| Right to Erasure | Deletion / anonymization mechanisms |
| Storage Limitation | Retention-aware fields and policies |
| Data Isolation | Strong tenant / scope enforcement |
3. Data Minimization by Design
Required Capabilities
An ORM / query framework should:
- Support explicit field selection
- Avoid expanding relations automatically
- Exclude large or sensitive fields by default
Example (Conceptual)
Q.usersWithMinimalFields().executeForList(ctx)
Only returns identifiers, not full personal profiles.
4. Sensitive Data Awareness
Framework-Level Typing
Sensitive data should be explicitly typed, not inferred by convention.
Examples:
emailphoneaddresspasswordbiometric
Framework behavior:
- Sensitive fields are not selectable by default
- Require explicit intent or purpose
- Can enforce masking, hashing, or encryption
5. Purpose-Aware Data Access
GDPR requires knowing why personal data is processed.
Framework Capability
- Accept a purpose context with each query
- Use purpose to restrict selectable fields
- Record purpose in audit logs
Conceptual example:
userContext.withPurpose("customer_support")
6. Accountability & Auditability
ORM / query frameworks should automatically generate audit records.
Minimum audit information:
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Who | user / service identity |
| When | timestamp |
| What | entity + fields |
| Why | purpose |
| Result | record count |
Audit logging must be:
- Automatic
- Tamper-resistant
- Independent of business code
7. Right of Access & Data Portability
Frameworks should enable:
- Export of all data related to a data subject
- Structured formats (JSON / CSV)
- Inclusion of related objects
- Optional masking of sensitive fields
This should be possible without custom SQL per entity.
8. Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten)
Frameworks must support multiple erasure strategies:
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Hard Delete | Physical row removal |
| Soft Delete | Logical deletion + access blocking |
| Anonymization | Data retained but no longer identifiable |
Key requirements:
- Cascading handling of relations
- Proof of erasure without retaining personal data
9. Privacy by Default
Default framework behavior should be privacy-preserving:
| Area | Default Behavior |
|---|---|
| Queries | Minimal fields |
| Relations | Not auto-expanded |
| Sensitive fields | Not selectable |
| Logs | No raw personal data |
| Errors | No data leakage |
10. Multi-Tenancy & Data Isolation
For SaaS systems, GDPR strongly implies data isolation.
Framework responsibilities:
- Mandatory tenant filters
- No cross-tenant queries
- Automatic scope injection
Conceptual behavior:
Q.users.execute(ctx)
// Implicitly scoped to ctx.tenantId
11. What Frameworks Should NOT Do
- Do not default to
SELECT * - Do not rely on developer discipline alone
- Do not treat GDPR as a documentation-only concern
- Do not leave audit logging to application code
- Do not expose sensitive data via error messages
12. Auditor-Friendly Outcome
A GDPR-compliant ORM / query framework can answer:
- Why was this data accessed?
- Which fields were accessed?
- By whom and for what purpose?
- Can this data be deleted or anonymized?
- Is misuse technically constrained?
13. Final Summary
A GDPR-compliant ORM or data query framework does not enforce business rules — it enforces safe defaults, explicit intent, and traceability.
The framework ensures that:
- Compliance is achievable
- Misuse is hard
- Audits are explainable
- Privacy is built into the system architecture
This document describes technical design patterns for GDPR-aligned data frameworks and does not replace formal legal advice.