Which of the following is the MOST important consideration when determining retention periods for personal data?

Which of the following is the MOST important consideration when determining retention periods for personal data?
A . Sectoral best practices for the industry
B . Notice provided to customers during data collection
C . Data classification standards
D . Storage capacity available for retained data

View Answer

Answer: B

Explanation:

The notice provided to customers during data collection is the most important consideration when determining retention periods for personal data, as it reflects the transparency and accountability principles of privacy and the expectations and preferences of the data subjects. The notice should inform the customers about the purposes and legal bases of the data processing, the rights and choices of the customers, and the safeguards and measures to protect the data, including how long the data will be kept and when it will be deleted or disposed of. The notice should also be consistent with the applicable laws and regulations that may prescribe or limit the retention periods for certain types of personal data. The other options are not as important as the notice provided to customers during data collection when determining retention periods for personal data. Sectoral best practices for the industry may provide some guidance or benchmarks for retention periods, but they may not reflect the specific context or needs of the organization or the customers. Data classification standards may help to categorize data according to its sensitivity and value, but they may not indicate how long the data should be retained or deleted. Storage capacity available for retained data may affect the feasibility or cost of retaining data, but it should not determine or override the retention periods based on privacy principles, laws or customer expectations1, p. 99-100

Reference: 1: CDPSE Review Manual (Digital Version)