Provide an example of a safety constraint for tool use.

• A. Allowing access to sensitive data by default
• B. Requiring a two-factor sign-off from a supervisor for every call
• C. Prohibiting access to sensitive data without explicit user consent.
• D. Automatically ignoring user consent for speed

Answer: (C)

Safety in tool use hinges on enforcing controls that protect privacy and data. Prohibiting access to sensitive data without explicit user consent shows a clear boundary: data can only be accessed when the user has expressly approved it. This puts user autonomy at the center and embodies least-privilege practice, reducing the risk of exposing or misusing sensitive information. In practice, the tool would request consent before accessing sensitive data, and the decision would be recorded for accountability. This kind of constraint directly links action to consent, which is fundamental for safe and responsible tool use.

By comparison, allowing access to sensitive data by default would remove the essential guardrail, increasing risk. Requiring a two-factor sign-off from a supervisor for every call is a strong control that can improve accountability and oversight, but it introduces usability friction and doesn’t illustrate the basic consent-based access principle as clearly. Automatically ignoring user consent for speed completely undermines safety by bypassing a fundamental permission boundary.