Data Minimization

A privacy principle requiring that organizations collect, process, and retain only the minimum amount of personal data necessary to accomplish a specific purpose. For assistive technology users, data minimization is particularly important because these technologies often capture sensitive information — such as images of a person's home, medical documents, or financial records — as a byproduct of providing assistance. Blind users of visual assistance technologies have expressed strong preferences for on-device processing with immediate deletion rather than cloud storage, reflecting a desire for data minimization in practice. The principle is enshrined in regulations like GDPR and is considered a foundational element of privacy-by-design approaches.