Which practice ensures that data is used only for the stated purpose?

• A. Accountability
• B. Data integrity
• C. Purpose limitation
• D. Access control

Answer: (C)

Purpose limitation is the principle that data processing should be limited to the purposes stated at the time of collection and not used for other purposes without additional consent. This keeps data usage predictable and aligned with what the user was informed about, which is essential for privacy and trust. For example, if you collect someone's contact information to verify an account, you should not repurpose that data for marketing unless you’ve obtained clear consent for that new use.

While other controls like accountability, data integrity, and access control are important for safe data handling, they don’t by themselves ensure that data isn’t used beyond the original purpose. Purpose limitation directly addresses that specific concern.