Which practice demonstrates ethical IT management?

• A. Maximizing data collection without consent.
• B. Maintaining transparent privacy notices and obtaining informed consent.
• C. Tracking only operational metrics without regard to privacy.
• D. Failing to remediate known security gaps.

Answer: (B)

Ethical IT management centers on respecting individuals’ privacy by being clear about data and giving people real control over how it’s used. This means providing transparent privacy notices that explain what data is collected, how it’s used, who it’s shared with, and how long it’s kept, and obtaining informed consent before collecting or using data beyond what’s necessary. When an organization communicates openly and secures consent, it honors autonomy, builds trust, and helps reduce legal and reputational risk.

The other options undermine privacy and trust: collecting data without consent disregards user rights; tracking only operational metrics without considering privacy still ignores individuals’ privacy concerns; and failing to fix known security gaps puts data at risk and fails to protect stakeholders.