---
term: "Lawful basis"
category: "Consent and data rights"
url: https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/lawful-basis
source: AgenticOpenFinance glossary
---

# Lawful basis

> One of the six grounds in the GDPR that make processing personal data lawful, of which consent is only one.

A lawful basis is one of the six grounds set out in the GDPR that make processing personal data lawful: consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public task and legitimate interests. A firm must identify the basis for each purpose before processing, and the choice affects which rights the person has. Many agent features rely on contract or legitimate interests rather than consent, which is why consent is not automatically the right basis.

Related terms: [Consent](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/consent.md), [Personal data](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/personal-data.md), [Purpose limitation](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/purpose-limitation.md), [Authorized third party](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/authorised-third-party.md)