What is the MA approach to handling personal data encountered during investigations?

• A. Respect privacy, minimize data collected, share only as policy allows, and store securely.
• B. Collect as much as possible and share widely.
• C. Post online for public viewing.
• D. Ignore privacy concerns if the person is uncooperative.

Answer: (A)

Protecting personal data during investigations means handling information with privacy in mind: collect only what you need, share data only according to policy, and store it securely. This approach minimizes risk, respects individuals’ rights, and keeps the investigation compliant with privacy rules. Collecting as much as possible and sharing widely violates the need-to-know principle and increases exposure of sensitive information. Posting data publicly or ignoring privacy concerns, even if someone is uncooperative, undermines ethics, undermines trust, and can jeopardize the investigation. So the best practice is to respect privacy, minimize data collected, share only as policy allows, and store securely.