Which principle of the Data Protection Act ensures that personal data is collected for specific purposes?

The principle that ensures personal data is collected for specific purposes is known as purpose limitation. This principle dictates that organizations must clearly define and communicate the reasons for collecting personal data at the time of collection. It requires that personal data should only be used for the purposes that were specified at the time of collection, and not for any unrelated functions or objectives.

Purpose limitation serves to protect the rights of individuals by ensuring transparency and accountability in how their data is used. It prevents organizations from utilizing personal data for purposes that could be deemed intrusive or outside the scope of what individuals might reasonably expect. This principle is integral to fostering trust between data subjects and data controllers, emphasizing that individuals should have control over how their personal information is utilized.

In contrast, the other principles mentioned such as data minimization focuses on collecting only the data necessary for the intended purpose, accuracy emphasizes the need for data to be accurate and up-to-date, and storage limitation pertains to not keeping data longer than necessary. While these principles are important to the overall framework of data protection, it is purpose limitation that specifically addresses the need for defined and legitimate purposes for data collection.