According to privacy principles, personal information should be kept accurate, complete, current and relevant for what reason?

• A. For marketing purposes only
• B. Its identified purpose
• C. To reduce costs
• D. To ensure legal compliance only

Answer: (B)

Personal information should be kept accurate, complete, current and relevant for the purpose identified at the time of collection. This focus on the identified purpose ensures the data is fit for what it was gathered to do, supporting reliable decision-making, effective service delivery, and privacy protection. If information isn’t aligned with that purpose or becomes outdated, it can lead to wrong conclusions, unfair treatment, or privacy risks, and it may run afoul of privacy laws that require data to be appropriate for its stated use.

The other options don’t capture this central idea. Privacy principles aren’t limited to marketing purposes, and while data quality can influence costs and legal compliance, the essential reason for maintaining data quality is to ensure it remains suitable for the purpose for which it was collected.