Module 2 - Personal Data

Question 1

What does personal data comprise?

Answer 1

Four components to definition:
- Information;
- Relating to;
- Identified (DIRECT) or identifiable (INDIRECT);
- Natural person (LIVING).

Question 2

What four broad data categories exist?

Answer 2

• Personal data.
• Anonymised data.
• Pseudonymised data.
• Special category data.

Question 3

What is meant by anonymised data?

Answer 3

• Anonymised data comprises data that does not disclose an identified or identifiable natural person.
• As such, anonymised data does not fall within the ambit of data protection legislation.

Question 4

What is pseudonymised data?

Answer 4

• Pseudonymised data is modified personal data that has been altered to decouple the data from a specific individual. However, given that such data may be reconciled to an individual with appropriate supporting information.
• Pseudonymised data remains subject to data protection laws.

Question 5

What is special category data?

Answer 5

Exhaustively defined forms of personal data that are subject to more rigorous processing obligations. Comprises:
- Health information;
- Race or ethnic origin;
- Sex life and sexual orentation;
- Political opinions, religious and philosophical beliefs;
- Trade union membership status; and
- Genetic and biometric information (if biometrics processed for unique identification purposes),
Criminal conviction data is not special catagory date but is subject to specific processing provisos under prevailing legislation. Social security numbers also do not comprise special data under European data protection legislation.