# Data ethics, consent and trust principles

*Data 360 Consultant Study Guide · Solution Positioning · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/data-360-consultant/solution-positioning/data-ethics-consent-and-trust-principles*

The five Salesforce data ethics best practices (minimization, value exchange, sensitive data and bias, least privilege, careful partners), Salesforce's Ethical and Humane Use guiding principles for AI, and which Data 360 governance control answers each compliance requirement.

- Certification: Salesforce Data 360 Consultant
- Exam section: Solution Positioning
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/data-360-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe the principles of data ethics and governance.

## What the exam expects

- Apply the five data ethics best practices, including minimization, and spot attributes that proxy for protected classes.
- Apply least privilege to access requests, read-only by default.
- Confirm consent, value exchange and partner obligations (chain of custody) before activating data to a third party.
- Align an AI deployment with the Ethical and Humane Use guiding principles, especially Transparency.
- Match a governance requirement to the Data 360 control that meets it, and know that data spaces don't meet residency mandates.

Key terms: **data minimization** is keeping only the data the stated purpose needs; **least privilege** is giving users only the access their tasks need; **proxy attribute** is a field, such as ZIP code, that correlates with a protected class; **chain of custody** is who holds shared data and what they may do with it after activation.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Five practices | Appropriate use, value exchange, sensitive data care, only what you need, careful partners | [Adopt Ethical Data Use Best Practices](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethical-data-use-best-practices-quick-look/adopt-ethical-data-use-best-practices) |
| Birthday example | Ask month and day only; omitting the year prevents age bias | [Adopt Ethical Data Use Best Practices](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethical-data-use-best-practices-quick-look/adopt-ethical-data-use-best-practices) |
| Proxy example | US ZIP codes are often highly correlated with race | [Adopt Ethical Data Use Best Practices](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethical-data-use-best-practices-quick-look/adopt-ethical-data-use-best-practices) |
| Guiding principles | Human Rights, Privacy, Safety, Transparency, Inclusion | [Meet the Office of Ethical and Humane Use of Technology](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethics-by-design/meet-the-office-of-ethical-and-humane-use-of-technology) |
| Acceptable Use Policy | Bots must be identified as not human; no automated legal decision-making with Einstein | [Meet the Office of Ethical and Humane Use of Technology](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethics-by-design/meet-the-office-of-ethical-and-humane-use-of-technology) |
| Data spaces and residency | Not designed for GDPR regional storage mandates | [Govern and Secure Your Data](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/data-cloud-govern-and-secure/govern-and-secure-your-data) |
| Governance concepts | AI tagging and classification, policy-based governance (ABAC), data security | [Get to Know Data 360 Governance](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/data-cloud-governance-quick-look/get-to-know-data-cloud-governance) |

## Check yourself

- Why should a birthday form omit the birth year?
- When an agent delivers content autonomously, what does the Transparency principle require?
- Which Salesforce tool captures and honors customer consent and preferences?
- Why can't data spaces satisfy an EU-only storage requirement?

## Sources

- [Adopt Ethical Data Use Best Practices](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethical-data-use-best-practices-quick-look/adopt-ethical-data-use-best-practices)
- [Meet the Office of Ethical and Humane Use of Technology](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ethics-by-design/meet-the-office-of-ethical-and-humane-use-of-technology)
- [Govern and Secure Your Data](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/data-cloud-govern-and-secure/govern-and-secure-your-data)
- [Get to Know Data 360 Governance](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/data-cloud-governance-quick-look/get-to-know-data-cloud-governance)
- [Einstein Trust Layer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.generative_ai_trust_layer.htm&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 9 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Data 360 Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams