Übererfassung

Übererfassung refers to the over-collection or excessive recording of data. This concept is often discussed in fields such as data protection, privacy, and information management. It arises when more information is gathered than is strictly necessary for a specific purpose or when data is retained for longer than required.

The implications of Übererfassung can be significant. From a privacy standpoint, collecting and storing excessive personal data increases the risk of breaches and misuse. Even if data is collected with good intentions, its over-retention can lead to complications if the original purpose for collection becomes obsolete or if the data is no longer legally permissible to hold. In a business context, Übererfassung can lead to increased storage costs and management overhead.

Many data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, aim to combat Übererfassung through principles like data minimization and storage limitation. Data minimization requires organizations to collect only the data that is adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed. Storage limitation dictates that personal data should be kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed. Adhering to these principles helps to reduce the risks associated with excessive data collection and storage.