[Responder] Roy Fielding [Objections to Option A] 
I object to this definition of "collects": data collection is inherently about retaining (or giving to someone else) that which is collected. Data that merely comes within control is not collecting: an Internet router isn't collecting data when it forwards it between two peers. I described that extensively in a message to the list on 23 May 2012, which I will recap here. The regulatory bodies use the term "data collection" extensively without actually defining it. As near as I can tell, they rely on the commonly established usage of the term for statistical surveys, something which the government is very familiar with (census) and frequently regulates. "Data collection is the process of gathering data." [2] and "gathering" is itself defined as collection (circular) or as the act of assembling a group of things together in one place. I think we all should understand that collection implies gathering together and at least some form of retention (i.e., either retention by the party doing the collecting, or retention by some other party that received what was collected). "I have a large seashell collection which I keep scattered on the beaches all over the world... maybe you've seen it." -- Steven Wright [1] The above joke by Steven Wright depends on the audience knowing that. We collect seashells by taking them off the beach, not by merely walking by them. We collect photos of seashells by taking each one's picture and retaining that picture, not by snapping the shot and then deleting it from memory. As a technical matter, assigning a pseudo-ID to a user agent via a cookie that is derived from a random source, perhaps combined with codes for algorithmic validation, and merely receiving that cookie in later requests, is not by itself data collection. Data collection would be retaining the cookie value along with the request data, or gathering the data from multiple requests over time in a way that can be traced back to that cookie. This distinction is important because there are many uses of cookies that are not for the purpose of tracking, even though the value is unique per user agent. I only object to the other definitions to the extent they rely on this incorrect definition of collects. [1] http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/a024670721/steven-wright-standup-from-standupfan [2] http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=534