What does "retention limitation" imply regarding personal data?

Retention limitation refers to the principle that personal data should not be kept longer than necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. This concept is grounded in data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which advocate for the minimization of data retention to prevent unnecessary storage of personal information.

Keeping personal data for only as long as required not only reduces risks associated with data breaches and misuse but also supports individuals' rights to privacy and control over their information. Thus, option B accurately captures the essence of retention limitation in privacy compliance, emphasizing that personal data should be held only for the period needed to achieve its intended purpose, after which it should be securely disposed of.

Other options suggest practices that do not align with the principles of data minimization and responsible data stewardship. For instance, archiving data indefinitely or deleting it immediately after collection may not accommodate the legitimate need for data processing that requires some retention. Selling data after a certain period also contradicts the fundamental purpose of retention limitation, which is to limit the duration of holding personal information based on necessity.