What is the difference between specific consent and broad consent for future data use?

• A. Specific consent targets a defined use; broad consent allows future uses with governance and privacy safeguards.
• B. They are identical.
• C. Specific consent allows any future use.
• D. Broad consent requires consent for each future use.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how consent differs in scope and safeguards. Specific consent is given for a clearly defined use, so participants know exactly what data will be used for, by whom, and in what project. Broad consent, on the other hand, covers future uses of data that aren’t yet defined, but it rests on governance and privacy safeguards to protect participants and manage those future research activities. That combination—future uses allowed under a governance framework with privacy protections—best captures the distinction.

So, the best description is that specific consent targets a defined use, while broad consent allows future uses with governance and privacy safeguards. The other statements don’t fit because they either imply the two types are the same, suggest specific consent allows any future use, or say broad consent requires consent for each future use, which would defeat the purpose of broad consent and its governance framework.