What is the difference between automatic offset commits and manual commits in a Kafka consumer, and when would you choose each?

What is the difference between automatic offset commits and manual commits in a Kafka consumer, and when would you choose each?

• A. Manual commits disable offset tracking.
• B. Auto commits periodically update offsets automatically; manual commits give you precise control when you commit, enabling stronger processing guarantees; choose manual when you need exactly-once or precise processing boundaries.
• C. Auto commits require consumer to pause processing.
• D. Auto commits have no impact on processing guarantees.

Answer: (B)