Structural Privacy Bylaw
Status: FOUNDATIONAL — Cannot be changed without supermajority member vote
Equivalent Authority: Same as Cost+20% Model
Purpose: Protect member privacy by structural design, not policy
The Core Principle
Liana Banyan Corporation SHALL NOT collect, store, or require any personal demographic data beyond what is strictly necessary for platform operations.
This is not a privacy policy. This is a structural bylaw — meaning the platform is architecturally designed to make demographic collection impossible, not merely prohibited.
What We Collect (Exhaustive List)
| Data Type | Purpose | Why Required |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Card | Age verification (18+) | Legal requirement for transactions |
| Location (Address/Zip) | Delivery, node assignment, benefit eligibility | Physical goods require shipping |
| Contact Information | Communication | Members must be reachable |
| Objectively Verifiable Data | Platform operations | Data we already have from above |
That’s it. Nothing else.
What We DO NOT Collect (Non-Exhaustive)
| Data Type | Status |
|---|---|
| Social Security Number | NEVER |
| Race/Ethnicity | NEVER |
| Religion | NEVER |
| Political Affiliation | NEVER |
| Sexual Orientation | NEVER |
| Gender Identity | NEVER |
| Disability Status | NEVER |
| Income Level | NEVER |
| Education Level | NEVER |
| Marital/Family Status | NEVER |
| Health Information | NEVER |
| Employment History | NEVER |
| Criminal History | NEVER |
Sponsor Criteria Restrictions
When sponsors (via Brass Tacks/Johnny Appleseed) wish to target their medallion gifts, they MAY specify:
Allowed Criteria
| Criteria Type | Examples | Why Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Location | “Lives in Butte, Montana” | We already have address |
| Area Code | “Has 406 area code” | We already have contact info |
| Membership Duration | “Startup within last 3 months” | We already have join date |
| Group Membership | “Member of [recognized group]” | Self-identified, not verified |
| Node Affiliation | “Assigned to Node X” | We already have this |
Prohibited Criteria
| Criteria Type | Status |
|---|---|
| Race/Ethnicity | PROHIBITED |
| Religion* | PROHIBITED as filter |
| Age (beyond 18+) | PROHIBITED |
| Gender | PROHIBITED |
| Income | PROHIBITED |
| Any demographic | PROHIBITED |
*Note: A sponsor may name a recognized group (e.g., “self-identified Catholic church member”) but this is:
- Self-identified by the recipient
- NOT verified by Liana Banyan
- NOT stored in any database
- Used only for that specific gift matching
Pickup & Delivery Privacy
Node Pickup Option
Members may choose to pick up physical goods at nodes instead of home delivery. This:
- Eliminates need for home address storage
- Allows members to maintain location privacy
- Is explicitly supported by platform architecture
Local S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure)
Nodes may establish local arrangements for delivery (e.g., workplace delivery, locker systems). These arrangements:
- Are documented in Local S.O.P. maintained by the node
- Are reviewed regularly by Harpers for quality assurance
- Are NOT stored, transmitted, or accessible by Liana Banyan Corporation
Liana Banyan keeps NO record of Local S.O.P. contents.
Why This Is Structural
Not a Policy — A Design
| Traditional Approach | Our Approach |
|---|---|
| “We won’t collect demographics” | “We CAN’T collect demographics” |
| Policy can be changed | Architecture prevents collection |
| Trust required | Trust not required |
| Data breach risk | No data to breach |
Database Schema Enforcement
The platform database schema SHALL NOT include fields for demographic data. This is enforced at the architectural level, not the policy level.
Amendment Process
This bylaw has the same amendment requirements as the Cost+20% Model:
- Supermajority (75%) member vote required
- 90-day public comment period before vote
- Board cannot override member vote
- Founder veto applies during founding period
This ensures that privacy protection cannot be weakened by:
- Executive decision
- Board action
- Investor pressure
- Regulatory interpretation
Comparison to Cost+20%
| Aspect | Cost+20% | Privacy Bylaw |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment Authority | Member supermajority | Member supermajority |
| Board Override | No | No |
| Founder Veto | Yes (founding period) | Yes (founding period) |
| Purpose | Economic fairness | Privacy protection |
| Enforcement | Operating agreement | Database architecture |
Legal Basis
This bylaw exceeds requirements of:
- GDPR (EU)
- CCPA (California)
- State privacy laws
By not collecting data in the first place, we eliminate:
- Data breach liability
- Compliance complexity
- User consent management
- Data retention obligations
You can’t breach data you don’t have.
Sponsor Statement Feature
Sponsors using Brass Tacks may add:
- Their name (optional, can be anonymous)
- A purpose statement (why they’re giving)
- Allowed criteria (geographic, temporal, group-based)
This creates meaningful gift-giving without demographic targeting.
Summary
| Principle | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Minimum data collection | Only payment, location, contact |
| No demographics | Structurally impossible, not just prohibited |
| Sponsor flexibility | Geographic and temporal criteria only |
| Local arrangements | Node-level, not platform-level |
| Amendment protection | Same as Cost+20% |
This bylaw is foundational to Liana Banyan’s commitment to privacy by design, not privacy by policy.
“We don’t need to know who you are. We just need to know how to help you.”