6.3 Minimum necessary use

Collect, access, retain, and disclose only what is needed for the approved analytical purpose. This principle can be applied through several questions:

• Does the project need direct identifiers?
• Does the team need exact dates, or would month or quarter be sufficient?
• Does every team member need access to the complete file?
• Can a less detailed geography answer the question?
• Does a presentation need the exact small count, or would aggregation communicate the finding safely?
• Does an external tool need real data, or can synthetic values reproduce the technical problem?

Minimum necessary use reduces harm if a mistake occurs. It also forces the team to clarify which variables genuinely contribute to the project.