Which disposal practice complies with the Disposal Rule for physical records containing consumer information?

• A. Shredding documents is optional.
• B. Deleting digital copies only.
• C. Secure destruction such as shredding or pulverizing to prevent reconstruction.
• D. Leaving records in a locked cabinet.

Answer: (C)

The essential idea is that physical records containing consumer information must be disposed of in a way that prevents any possibility of reconstruction or retrieval. Secure destruction methods—such as shredding or pulverizing—make the information unreadable and unrecoverable, which satisfies the Disposal Rule. Treating shredding as optional would not meet the requirement, and merely deleting digital copies or leaving physical records in a locked cabinet does not destroy the information or prevent reconstruction. Secure destruction ensures the records cannot be recovered.