Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. Protecting such data is the primary objective of the GDPR.
What is personal data?
Personal data covers a wide range of information:
- Direct identifiers – Name, national insurance number, photograph
- Contact details – Email, telephone, address
- Online identifiers – IP address, cookies, device ID
- Location data – GPS coordinates, location history
- Economic data – Payment history, income
Special categories of personal data
Some data enjoys stricter protection:
- Racial or ethnic origin
- Political opinions
- Religious beliefs
- Health data
- Sexual orientation
- Biometric data
Personal data and cookies
Cookies often contain personal data – especially unique identifiers that enable user tracking. An IP address combined with cookies can lead to the identification of a specific individual, which is why the GDPR applies to such data.