Privacy
The ability to manage access to information about oneself and one's activities.
Privacy concerns how information about people and their activities is collected, inferred, used, shared, and retained. It includes choices and protections across a whole information lifecycle, not only secrecy. A detail that seems harmless alone can become revealing when combined with other data.
Before collecting information, ask what purpose it serves, whether a less sensitive alternative works, who can access it, how long it is needed, and how a person can correct or remove it. Explain secondary uses and meaningful risks in plain language. Restrict access, secure stored and transmitted data, and set a deletion schedule.
Privacy expectations and legal rights vary across places, relationships, and kinds of data. De-identification can reduce risk but may not prevent re-identification when records are linked. Good privacy practice therefore combines technical safeguards, accountable governance, and respect for people affected by a system.
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