What is personal data?

Data by which you can be identified is personal data.

Your personal data includes your full name (like Jane Doe), date of birth, personal identity code, home address, telephone number and email address.
Pictures and video taken of you and recordings of your speech are also personal data. For example, you can be identified from a selfie. Even if you do not use your real name on your social media profile, you can still be identified from the photos.

Some types of personal data are more sensitive than others. It is a good idea to take a moment to consider before giving your information to others or publishing it on social media.

Special categories of personal data include data that can reveal something very sensitive about you. Such data must be protected with particular care. For example, many people do not want to share information about their illnesses to others, and others have no right to know about your illnesses either.

Special categories of personal data, or sensitive personal data, include:

your religious or philosophical beliefs, that is, the information on what religion you practise or do not practise; and
your health information (such as information about your illnesses, or patient records written down by a physician at your appointment).

The image shows a figure representing a skateboarding child surrounded by words. Words are examples of what personal data can be, such as name, home address, date of birth or information about ethnic origin.