What is Consent?

In today’s digital world, a data subject’s consent is one of the prime legal bases that organizations leverage to collect and process personal data.

Consent means that data subjects authorize organizations to collect and process their personal data. Generally speaking, consent is revocable; that is, data subjects can withdraw consent at any given time after they have given their consent. Once a data subject has withdrawn consent, all data processing operations that were based on his/her consent and took place before the withdrawal of consent remain lawful. However, organizations must stop the processing of the data immediately. It can continue the further processing of data only if there exists another lawful basis justifying its processing.

Consent is considered valid when data subjects understand the nature, purpose, and consequences of collecting, using or disclosing their personal data.