Informed consent
A freely made decision based on adequate understanding of the relevant information.
Example
An email signup should explain the sender, purpose and way to withdraw.
The catch
Consent requirements depend on context; silence is not a clear affirmative choice.
In more depth
Informed consent, explained.
In EU data protection law, informed consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and expressed through a deliberate action such as ticking an empty box. Pre-ticked boxes fail that test, and withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it. Consent recorded for one purpose does not stretch to new uses that were never explained.
The idea reaches beyond data protection. Land and nature projects meet a stronger standard, free, prior and informed consent, which recognises the right of Indigenous peoples to agree to or refuse projects affecting their lands before work begins. Consultation is a weaker thing, since a stakeholder can be heard and still lack any power to refuse. A nature-based solution planned without proper consent risks harming the communities it claims to help.