How does an analyst apply the principle of ownership to ethics and privacy in data collection?

• A. Individuals who create the data should own it
• B. The organization owns all data
• C. Data should be anonymized
• D. Data has no owner

Answer: (A)

Ownership in data ethics means the person who creates or is the subject of the data should control how that information is collected, used, and shared. An analyst applying this principle treats individuals as the primary owners of their data, requiring clear consent, transparent purpose for collection, and limits on how long data is kept or who it is shared with. This approach also supports giving data subjects rights to access, correct, or delete their information and to withdraw consent if needed. By respecting ownership, the analyst ensures that data handling aligns with individuals’ rights and privacy expectations, rather than letting an organization claim ownership of everything collected. The other ideas—organizations owning all data, treating data merely as anonymized content, or denying any owner—would weaken individual control and privacy protections, which is why ownership by the data creator is the best fit.