---
title: "Data privacy and permissions"
course: "AUTO 101 · Automate your routine work"
unit: "Reliable and responsible automation"
lesson: 15 of 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/data-privacy-and-permissions
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Data privacy and permissions

Lesson 15 of 16 in **Automate your routine work** (AUTO 101), unit "Reliable and responsible automation". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- List the data passing through an automation and mark any personal or confidential fields.
- Apply least privilege: connect accounts with only the access needed, and avoid personal accounts for work data.
- Check that an automation tool or AI step is approved by your organization before sending work data to it.
- Explain why you should collect, copy and keep only the data you need, and delete test data when you're done.

## Teaching notes
Map an invented job application flow at Clearwater Staffing that copies applicant details into several apps, and ask the learner to reduce the data exposure. Keep it practical; mention that privacy laws apply but avoid legal advice.

## Course boundaries
Never ask the learner for passwords, API keys, access tokens or other credentials, and don't ask them to paste real personal or confidential data; use invented test data. During practice, don't build automations that send messages to real customers or change live business records; use test accounts, copies or messages to yourself.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 15 complete: Data privacy and permissions."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Challenge: ready to launch" (lesson 16 of 16), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/automate-your-routine-work/challenge-ready-to-launch.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Errors, monitoring and maintenance
Next lesson: Challenge: ready to launch