Any data that relates to an identifiable or identified individual. GDPR covers a broad spectrum of information that could be used on its own, or in combination with other pieces of information, to identify a person. Personal data extends beyond a person's name or email address. Some examples include financial information, political opinions, genetic data, biometric data, IP addresses, physical address, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.
The Data Protection Principles include requirements such as:
- Personal data collected must be processed in a fair, legal, and transparent way and should only be used in a way that a person would reasonably expect.
- Personal data should only be collected to fulfil a specific purpose and it should only be used for that purpose. Organizations must specify why they need the personal data when they collect it.
- Personal data should be held no longer than necessary to fulfil its purpose.
- People covered by the GDPR have the right to access their own personal data. They can also request a copy of their data, and that their data be updated, deleted, restricted, or moved to another organization.