privacy-review

name	privacy-review
description	Privacy review and testing: evaluate PII handling, data flows, tracking inventory, consent mechanisms, storage practices, and data leakage risks with browser-based validation against GDPR, CCPA, and industry best practices.

Privacy Review

Evaluate how your application handles personal data — where it's collected, processed, stored, transmitted, and potentially leaked. This review catches privacy issues that code review alone misses: runtime data flows, third-party tracking, console/network leaks, and consent implementation gaps.

When to use

Use $privacy-review when:

• Your app collects any personal information (names, emails, addresses, etc.)
• Before launching in GDPR/CCPA jurisdictions
• Adding third-party analytics, tracking, or marketing tools
• After a data incident or privacy complaint
• Building features that handle sensitive data (health, financial, biometric)
• Integrating with third-party APIs that receive user data

Standards Referenced

• GDPR — EU General Data Protection Regulation (Articles 5, 6, 7, 12-22, 25, 32)
• CCPA/CPRA — California Consumer Privacy Act
• OWASP Privacy Risks Top 10
• NIST Privacy Framework
• ISO 27701 — Privacy Information Management
• ePrivacy Directive — Cookie consent requirements

Phase Overview

Phase 1: EDUCATE   → Privacy principles and what we check
Phase 2: SCOPE     → Map data flows, PII types, third parties
Phase 3: ANALYZE   → Browser-based validation of privacy practices
Phase 4: REPORT    → Findings with evidence and confidence scores
Phase 5: REMEDIATE → Fix guidance + YAML regression tests

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Phase 1: Educate

Why this matters: GDPR fines reached €2.1B in 2023. CCPA gives consumers the right to sue for data breaches ($100-$750 per consumer per incident). Beyond compliance, privacy violations erode user trust — 79% of consumers say they'd stop engaging with a brand after a privacy breach. Many privacy issues are invisible in code review but obvious in runtime behavior.

This review focuses on observable runtime privacy behavior — what actually happens in the browser when users interact with your app.

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Phase 2: Scope

Gather context

1. Auto-detect from codebase:

   • Forms that collect user input (registration, profile, payment, contact)
   • Analytics/tracking scripts (Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Segment, Hotjar, etc.)
   • Cookie-setting code and cookie consent mechanisms
   • Logging statements that might include PII
   • API calls that transmit user data
   • Third-party SDKs and their data sharing behavior
   • Privacy policy and terms of service pages

2. Ask the user (one at a time):

   • Target URL: Where is the app running?
   • Data types: What personal data does your app collect? (auto-detected, confirm)
   • Jurisdictions: Where are your users? (determines GDPR/CCPA/other applicability)
   • Third parties: What analytics/tracking/marketing tools do you use? (auto-detected, confirm)
   • Known concerns: Any specific privacy areas you're worried about? (optional)

3. Build data flow map:

   • PII entry points (forms, URL params, imports)
   • PII processing (client-side or server-side)
   • PII storage (cookies, localStorage, server DB)
   • PII transmission (API calls, third-party scripts)
   • PII display (profile pages, admin panels, logs)

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Phase 3: Analyze

Open a browser session with new_session using record_evidence: true. Run all applicable check categories.

Category A: Data Collection & Consent (CON)

Check ID	Check	Standard	Method
CON-01	Cookie consent banner shown before setting non-essential cookies	ePrivacy / GDPR Art.7	Load page, check if tracking cookies exist before consent
CON-02	No tracking scripts fire before consent	ePrivacy / GDPR	Monitor network requests on fresh page load (no consent given)
CON-03	Consent is granular (not just "accept all")	GDPR Art.7	Check consent UI for category-level options
CON-04	Rejecting consent actually prevents tracking	GDPR Art.7	Reject all, verify no tracking cookies/requests
CON-05	Consent preference is persisted and respected	GDPR Art.7	Set preference, reload page, verify it's remembered
CON-06	Consent can be withdrawn (modify/revoke)	GDPR Art.7(3)	Find mechanism to change consent after initial choice
CON-07	Privacy policy is accessible and linked	GDPR Art.12-14	Check for privacy policy link in footer/consent banner
CON-08	Data collection is proportionate (no unnecessary fields)	GDPR Art.5(1)(c)	Review forms for fields not needed for stated purpose

Browser validation: Load page in fresh session (no cookies). Use get_browser_console_logs and monitor network via JavaScript. Check cookies before and after consent interaction. Use act to interact with consent banner.

Category B: PII Leakage Detection (LEAK)

Check ID	Check	Standard	Method
LEAK-01	No PII in URL parameters	OWASP Privacy #1	Check URLs after form submissions, navigation
LEAK-02	No PII in browser console logs	OWASP Privacy #4	Check get_browser_console_logs for email, names, IDs
LEAK-03	No PII in localStorage/sessionStorage	Data minimization	Inspect client storage for personal data
LEAK-04	No PII in page source/comments	Information leak	Check HTML comments, hidden fields
LEAK-05	No PII in error messages	OWASP Privacy #7	Trigger errors, check for user data in messages
LEAK-06	No PII in Referer headers	OWASP Privacy	Check Referrer-Policy, inspect outbound requests
LEAK-07	No PII in meta tags or Open Graph	Information leak	Check <meta> for user-specific data on shared pages
LEAK-08	No PII in cached responses (browser cache)	Data minimization	Check Cache-Control headers on pages with PII
LEAK-09	No PII leaked to third-party scripts	GDPR Art.28	Monitor data sent to analytics/tracking endpoints
LEAK-10	Autocomplete appropriate on sensitive fields	Usability/Privacy	Check autocomplete attribute on password, CC fields

Browser validation: Navigate through user flows. After each action, check URLs, console logs, storage, and network requests for PII patterns (email regex, phone patterns, SSN patterns, etc.). Use JavaScript to inspect performance.getEntries() for request URLs.

Category C: Third-Party Tracking Inventory (TRACK)

Check ID	Check	Standard	Method
TRACK-01	Inventory all third-party scripts	GDPR Art.30	List all external script sources and their domains
TRACK-02	All third-party scripts are documented	Transparency	Cross-reference with privacy policy
TRACK-03	No unknown/unexpected tracking pixels	Privacy	Check for 1x1 images, beacon requests
TRACK-04	Third-party cookies inventory	ePrivacy	List all cookies by domain
TRACK-05	No fingerprinting scripts	Privacy	Check for canvas fingerprint, WebGL, AudioContext probing
TRACK-06	Data sent to third parties is proportionate	GDPR Art.5(1)(c)	Inspect payloads to analytics endpoints
TRACK-07	Tracking respects Do-Not-Track header	Best practice	Set DNT header, check if tracking still fires

Browser validation: Load page with fresh session. Use JavaScript to enumerate all <script> sources, all cookie domains, all network requests to external domains. Check for fingerprinting API usage (Canvas, WebGL, AudioContext).

Category D: Data Storage & Retention (STOR)

Check ID	Check	Standard	Method
STOR-01	Sensitive data encrypted in transit (HTTPS)	GDPR Art.32	Check all resource URLs use HTTPS
STOR-02	Session data has appropriate expiry	Data minimization	Check cookie/token expiration times
STOR-03	No excessive data in cookies	Data minimization	Check cookie sizes and contents
STOR-04	Client-side storage is minimal	Data minimization	Audit localStorage/sessionStorage contents
STOR-05	Sensitive form data not persisted in history	Privacy	Check if sensitive forms use POST, not GET
STOR-06	Browser back button doesn't show sensitive data after logout	Session management	Logout, press back, check for cached sensitive content

Browser validation: Inspect all cookies (name, value, domain, expiry, flags). Check localStorage/sessionStorage. Test logout + back button behavior.

Category E: User Rights Implementation (RIGHTS)

Check ID	Check	Standard	Method
RIGHTS-01	Users can access their data (data export)	GDPR Art.15 / CCPA	Find and test data export feature
RIGHTS-02	Users can delete their account/data	GDPR Art.17	Find and verify account deletion flow
RIGHTS-03	Users can update their personal information	GDPR Art.16	Test profile edit functionality
RIGHTS-04	Opt-out mechanism for data selling (CCPA)	CCPA §1798.120	Check for "Do Not Sell" link
RIGHTS-05	Account deletion is complete (not just deactivation)	GDPR Art.17	Delete account, verify data is removed (check profile URL)

Browser validation: Navigate to account settings, test data export, profile editing, and account deletion flows. Verify each right is accessible and functional.

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Phase 4: Report

Generate a structured report saved to shiplight/reports/privacy-review-{date}.md:

# Privacy Review Report
**Date:** {date}
**URL:** {url}
**PII types handled:** {list}
**Jurisdictions:** {GDPR, CCPA, etc.}
**Third parties detected:** {count and list}

## Overall Score: {X}/10 | Confidence: {X}%

## Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Findings |
|----------|-------|----------|
| Consent (CON) | 5/10 | 1 critical, 2 high |
| PII Leakage (LEAK) | 7/10 | 1 high, 1 medium |
| Tracking Inventory (TRACK) | 4/10 | 2 high, 1 medium |
| Data Storage (STOR) | 8/10 | 1 medium |
| User Rights (RIGHTS) | 6/10 | 1 high, 1 medium |

## Data Flow Map
(visual representation of PII flows through the application)

## Third-Party Tracking Inventory
| Domain | Type | Cookies Set | Data Sent | Consent Required |
|--------|------|-------------|-----------|-----------------|
| google-analytics.com | Analytics | _ga, _gid | Page URL, user agent | Yes |
| ... | | | | |

## Findings
(structured findings with evidence, severity, confidence)

Confidence Scoring

• 90-100%: Browser-validated — observed PII in console, URL, or network request
• 70-89%: Strong evidence from storage/header inspection
• 50-69%: Code-level pattern match, may not manifest at runtime
• Below 50%: Don't report

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Phase 5: Remediate

1. Fix guidance (example)

#### LEAK-01: Email address in URL parameter after form submit
**Risk:** PII in URL is logged by servers, proxies, browser history, and analytics
**File:** src/pages/search.tsx:34
**Current:** `router.push(`/results?email=${email}`)`
**Fix:** Use POST request or session state
- `router.push('/results')` with email in request body or session
- Add `Referrer-Policy: no-referrer` header as defense-in-depth

2. YAML regression test

- name: leak-01-no-pii-in-urls
  description: Verify email addresses are not exposed in URL parameters
  severity: high
  standard: OWASP-Privacy-1
  steps:
    - URL: /search
    - intent: Enter email in search form
      action: fill
      locator: "getByLabel('Email')"
      value: "[e-mail]"
    - intent: Submit the search form
      action: click
      locator: "getByRole('button', { name: 'Search' })"
    - WAIT_UNTIL: Search results are displayed
      timeout_seconds: 15
    - CODE: |
        const url = page.url();
        if (/[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}/.test(url)) {
          throw new Error(`PII found in URL: ${url}`);
        }
    - VERIFY: No email addresses appear in the browser URL

Save all YAML tests to shiplight/tests/privacy-review.test.yaml.

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Tips

• Use a fresh browser session (no stored cookies) to test consent behavior accurately
• PII patterns to search for: email (@), phone (\d{3}[-.]?\d{3}[-.]?\d{4}), SSN, credit card numbers, names from test accounts
• Third-party scripts often load more scripts — check for cascade loading
• get_browser_console_logs often reveals PII that developers left in debug logging
• Test with consent rejected AND accepted — both paths matter
• Close session with close_session and use generate_html_report for evidence