Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for configuring access controls to a database. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include receiving, from a first user, a table declaration for creating a database table in a database; generating, based on the table declaration, the database table; receiving, from the first user, a specification of one or more access mechanisms that have a privilege to access the database table; receiving a designation of at least one column in the database table as a protected column and one or more users who have a privilege to access the content of the protected column; and providing control over access to the content of the protected column based at least in part on the specification of the one or more access mechanisms and the designation of the at least one column and the second user.