Consent
Getting explicit permission from people before using their data or outputs in ways that matter.
Think of it like
Like asking someone before using their photo in an advertisement.
Example
Before training a model on customer chat logs, you tell people it will happen and give them the chance to opt out.
How it actually works
Consent is the legal and ethical foundation for data use. It requires disclosure (being clear about what you're doing) and choice (letting people say no). It breaks down when terms are buried in 50 pages of legalese or when 'consent' is mandatory to use a service. Real consent means opting in, not just failing to opt out.
For product teams
Build trust and stay legal by being transparent about data use and making opt-out easy and meaningful.
For engineers
Track consent status per user, honor deletion requests promptly, and audit training data for consent flags.
Related
- Privacy — What you're consenting to.
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