True or false: It is ethical to store any kind of information about a user with or without their consent, even if there’s no need for it and they receive no value in exchange.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (B)

Respect for privacy and data minimization means you should only store personal data when there’s a clear purpose and, in most cases, with the user’s consent or another valid basis. If there’s no need for the information and the user receives no value in exchange, keeping that data just adds risk and erodes trust. Storing data without a purpose can expose people to unnecessary privacy harms and might breach the expectations of transparency and control that users have over their information. In practice, you should limit collection to what you need, be explicit about why you’re storing it, and retain it only as long as necessary. Because of that, the statement is not ethical.