Privacy and Data Minimization in MCP: Keep Sensitive Info Safe

Protect sensitive information in MCP workflows with data minimization principles. This privacy guide shows you what data to include or exclude in prompts, redaction patterns, and how to keep sensitive information out of comments and task descriptions.

What This Guide Covers

This guide helps you protect privacy in MCP workflows:

Key Topics

Data minimization: Include only necessary data in prompts
Redaction patterns: Remove sensitive info before processing
Comment safety: Keep sensitive info out of task comments
Safe prompt templates: Privacy-focused prompt patterns
Compliance considerations: GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations

Data Minimization Principles

What to Include in Prompts

Safe Data to Include

Task titles: Generally safe (unless contains sensitive info)
Status information: Safe to include (open, in_progress, done)
Due dates: Safe to include
Project names: Safe (unless confidential project names)
Generic descriptions: Safe if no PII or sensitive data

What to Exclude from Prompts

⚠️ Sensitive Data to Exclude

Personal information: Names, emails, phone numbers, addresses
Financial data: Account numbers, payment info, salaries
Health information: Medical records, health status
Credentials: Passwords, API keys, tokens
Confidential business data: Trade secrets, financial projections
Customer data: Customer names, contact info, account details

Redaction Patterns

Pattern 1: Redact Before Processing

Redaction Prompt Pattern

"Before processing this task description, redact any sensitive information: - Replace email addresses with [EMAIL] - Replace phone numbers with [PHONE] - Replace names with [NAME] - Replace account numbers with [ACCOUNT] Then process the redacted version."

Benefits:

Removes PII before AI processing
Maintains structure for processing
Protects sensitive data

Pattern 2: Generic Placeholders

Placeholder Pattern

"When creating tasks from this information, replace: - Customer names with 'Customer A', 'Customer B' - Account numbers with 'Account [ID]' - Email addresses with '[email protected]' Use generic placeholders instead of real data."

This pattern: Uses generic placeholders to protect real data

Keeping Sensitive Info Out of Comments

Safe Comment Patterns

Privacy-Safe Comment Template

"When adding comments to tasks, follow these rules: - Don't include email addresses - Don't include phone numbers - Don't include customer names (use 'customer' or 'client') - Don't include account numbers - Use generic references instead of specific identifiers Example safe comment: 'Followed up with client about payment issue. Waiting for response.'"

What to avoid:

"Called [email protected] at 555-1234"
"Updated account #12345-67890"
"Contacted Jane Smith about her order"

Safe alternatives:

"Followed up with customer via email"
"Updated customer account"
"Contacted customer about their order"

Safe Prompt Templates

Template 1: Privacy-Safe Task Creation

Safe Task Creation Prompt

"Create a task from this information. Before processing: 1. Redact any email addresses, phone numbers, or names 2. Replace with generic placeholders 3. Then create the task with redacted information Original: [Your text with potential PII] Redacted: [AI redacts sensitive info] Task: [Created with safe data]"

This pattern: Redacts → Processes → Creates safely

Template 2: Privacy-Safe Status Report

Safe Status Report Prompt

"Generate a status report from my Corcava tasks. Rules: - Only include task titles, statuses, and due dates - Don't include any task descriptions that might contain sensitive info - Don't include assignee names (use 'assigned' or 'unassigned') - Use generic project names if they contain sensitive info Focus on status and progress, not personal or sensitive details."

This pattern: Limits data → Focuses on safe fields → Excludes PII

Compliance Considerations

Regulatory Compliance

When working with regulated data:

GDPR: Don't include EU personal data in prompts or comments
HIPAA: Never include health information in MCP workflows
PCI DSS: Don't include payment card data
SOX: Be careful with financial data in task descriptions

Best practice: When in doubt, exclude sensitive data or consult compliance team

Best Practices

Privacy Best Practices

Minimize data: Include only what's necessary for the operation
Redact early: Remove sensitive info before AI processing
Use placeholders: Replace real data with generic placeholders
Review comments: Check comments before adding to tasks
Limit descriptions: Keep task descriptions free of PII
Audit regularly: Review MCP usage for privacy compliance
Train team: Ensure team knows privacy-safe patterns

Troubleshooting

Accidentally Included PII

Symptom: Sensitive data appears in task or comment

Fix:

Immediately update task/comment to remove PII
Use redaction pattern to clean data
Review and update privacy-safe patterns
Consider data retention policies

Unclear What's Sensitive

Symptom: Not sure if data should be included