What is the purpose of 'purpose limitation' in data sharing agreements?

• A. To outline general data handling without limits.
• B. To permit data to be sold to any partner at any time.
• C. To allow secondary uses freely.
• D. To restrict data use to defined purposes and prevent secondary uses.

Answer: (D)

Purpose limitation focuses on restricting data use to the specific purposes for which it was collected and preventing anything beyond those defined uses. In a data sharing agreement, this means the contract spells out exactly why the data can be used and prohibits processing for any other, unapproved purposes unless there’s new consent or a different legal basis. This keeps data handling predictable, protects individuals’ privacy, and helps ensure compliance with laws that require you not to repurpose data without proper authorization. The idea is to prevent data from being repurposed or shared for unrelated activities without consent, which is what would happen if uses were not limited or could be freely extended. That’s why the best answer states that data use must be restricted to defined purposes and secondary uses are prevented.