Consent means the person understands the purpose and agrees to that use of their personal data.
Simple example
If a gym collects a phone number to send class reminders, that is one purpose. If it also wants marketing messages, that should be clear separately.
Why it matters
Consent is not a magic checkbox. You need clear purpose, clean wording, proof of the flow, and a way for the person to withdraw later.
What to check
Is the purpose written where data is collected?
Is marketing separate from service communication?
Can the person withdraw consent?
Can your team prove when and how consent was collected?
Do vendors receive only the data needed for the purpose?
Using one checkbox to cover every future use: service updates, newsletters, sales calls, partner sharing, and retargeting.
Take one form or campaign. Write down every purpose and check whether the user actually sees it before submitting data.
If this is still fuzzy, do this
Run one real data journey through your business. Do not start with legal language. Start with the person, the form, the tool, the vendor, the message, and the deletion point.