consent
What It Means
Consent means getting clear, voluntary permission from people before collecting or using their personal information. It must be specific about what data you're taking and how you'll use it, and people must actively agree rather than just not objecting.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Invalid consent can trigger massive GDPR fines up to 4% of global revenue, create legal liability, damage customer trust, and halt data-driven business operations if consent is withdrawn or deemed insufficient by regulators.
Real-World Example
A fitness app asking users to check a box saying 'I agree to share my workout data with third-party advertisers' is valid consent, but automatically enrolling users in data sharing with an opt-out buried in settings is not.
Common Confusion
Many executives think pre-checked boxes, lengthy terms of service, or making consent a condition of basic service always counts as valid consent - but regulators require active, informed choices that users can easily withdraw.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare, consent requires patients to explicitly agree to specific data collection, processing, and sharing activi...
Finance: In finance, consent is critical for collecting customer data for services like credit assessments, investment advice, or...
Premium content locked
Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"‘Consent’ of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject's wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her."Source: GDPR
"“Consent” means any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of the consumer’s wishes by which the consumer, or the consumer’s legal guardian, a person who has power of attorney, or a person acting as a conservator for the consumer, including by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal information relating to the consumer for a narrowly defined particular purpose. Acceptance of a general or broad terms of use, or similar document, that contains descriptions of personal information processing along with other, unrelated information, does not constitute consent. Hovering over, muting, pausing, or closing a given piece of content does not constitute consent. Likewise, agreement obtained through use of dark patterns does not constitute consent."Source: CCPA
Related Terms
Discuss This Term with Your AI Assistant
Ask how "consent" applies to your specific use case and regulatory context.
Start Free Trial