Scope of Consent

The extent and boundaries of permission a data subject grants for processing their personal data, defining what activities are authorized and which require additional consent. Effective consent must be specific—blanket permissions for undefined processing are invalid under GDPR. The scope should clearly delineate: what data is covered, for what purposes, for how long, who may access it, and whether it includes sensitive data or automated decision-making. Organizations should obtain separate consents for distinct purposes rather than bundling everything into single consent requests. For example, newsletter consent shouldn't be combined with account creation or marketing analytics. When processing purposes change or expand beyond original scope, organizations must obtain fresh consent unless another legal basis applies. Scope limitations protect individuals from mission creep—companies can't later claim consent for activities individuals didn't authorize. Privacy notices should clearly explain consent scope, and consent management platforms should track granular permissions enabling proper scope enforcement.