The term "permission-driven user interface" refers to a system of user interface design where the appearance or non-appearance of menu items or functions is driven by the access permissions granted to a user.
Users can see very different user interfaces in the same system based on their permissions levels.
The system is intended to improve the user experience by removing items that are unavailable to the user. A user who sees functions that he cannot access can experience frustration as he tries to choose them and finds them unavailable. It also provides an enhancement to security byhiding functional items from unauthorized persons.
The origin of this term in uncertain.