Personal data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable living individual. This definition is broad and includes obvious identifiers as well as less obvious ones.
Examples of Personal Data
- Direct identifiers: Name, email address, phone number, ID number
- Indirect identifiers: IP address, cookie identifiers, device fingerprints
- Physical characteristics: Photos, biometric data, fingerprints
- Social and economic data: Job title, income, purchase history
What is NOT Personal Data?
Anonymous data that cannot be linked to an individual is not personal data. However, pseudonymized data (where the link can be restored) is still considered personal data.