The World Wide Web Consortium publishes Privacy Principles to guide how the web handles personal data

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published Privacy Principles as a W3C Statement, setting out a shared understanding of privacy and how it should be protected in the design and operation of the web.

In simple terms, this document explains what privacy is, why it matters online, and how web technologies should be built so that people can use the internet without being unnecessarily tracked, profiled, or exposed. Rather than being a technical standard that developers must follow line by line, the Privacy Principles act as a reference point for anyone involved in building or regulating web technologies.

The document starts by clarifying key concepts. It explains privacy not just as secrecy, but as people’s ability to control how information about them is collected, used, and shared. This includes personal data such as names and locations, but also online identifiers, browsing behaviour, and inferred information that can be used to predict preferences or actions.

The Privacy Principles then set out a number of guiding ideas that should shape the web as a whole. These include collecting only the data that is necessary, being clear and transparent about how data is used, limiting how long data is kept, and designing systems that minimise the risk of misuse or abuse. A central theme is that privacy should not be added as an afterthought, but built into technologies from the start.

Importantly, the document is written to bridge technology and policy. It is intended to be useful both for engineers designing web systems and for policymakers, regulators, and civil society actors who work on data protection and digital rights. By using globally applicable definitions and principles, it aims to support a more consistent approach to privacy across different legal systems and cultural contexts.

As a W3C Statement, the Privacy Principles have been formally reviewed and endorsed by W3C; however, they are not intended to become a binding technical standard. Instead, they provide a stable and authoritative reference that can inform standards development, policy discussions, and practical decision-making about the future of the web.