Which data collection practice best protects privacy?

• A. Collect data you don't need
• B. Retain data indefinitely
• C. Collect only what is necessary
• D. Share data widely

Answer: (C)

Collecting only what is necessary is about data minimization: gathering just enough information to achieve a specific purpose and nothing more. This approach protects privacy by limiting how much personal data is stored and exposed. When you limit collection, there’s less data to safeguard, reducing risk if a breach occurs and making it easier to manage retention and deletion. In practice, you identify the goal and collect only the data that directly supports it, avoiding extra details that aren’t needed.

The other practices increase privacy risk: collecting data you don’t need adds unnecessary sensitive information; retaining data indefinitely keeps data around longer than necessary and raises ongoing exposure; sharing data widely spreads personal information and undermines consent and control.