Under the GDPR, what is the term for the lawful basis that allows processing personal data?

The correct choice is consent, which is one of the lawful bases for processing personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Consent refers to the individual’s clear and affirmative agreement to the processing of their personal data for a specific purpose. The GDPR requires that consent must be informed, specific, freely given, and unambiguous. Organizations must ensure that individuals have a genuine choice and can withdraw their consent at any time, reinforcing individual rights regarding personal data privacy.

While other options like legitimate interest and public interest also represent lawful bases for processing personal data under the GDPR, they depend on the context in which the data is being processed without requiring individual consent. Deidentification, although a technique used to protect personal data, does not represent a lawful basis for processing under GDPR but rather a method to render data less identifiable. Understanding consent is crucial in the context of GDPR as it emphasizes individual empowerment and autonomy over personal data.