Verification Method

The process or technique used to confirm a requestor's identity before responding to privacy rights requests, ensuring personal data is only disclosed to authorized individuals. Verification methods range from simple to sophisticated depending on data sensitivity, relationship type, and regulatory requirements. Common approaches include: email verification (sending confirmation links to registered addresses), account login (requiring authentication through existing credentials), knowledge-based questions (asking for information only the consumer should know), multi-factor authentication (combining password with phone or email verification), government ID review, credit card verification, or notarized documents. Organizations should: implement risk-based verification proportionate to data sensitivity and request type (deletion requests need stricter verification than access requests for non-sensitive data), avoid requesting excessive additional information that itself creates privacy concerns, clearly communicate verification requirements to requestors, balance security against accessibility so verification doesn't effectively deny rights, and document verification decisions and methods. Inadequate verification enables identity theft and data exposure; excessive verification can impede legitimate rights exercise.