What is personal data?
Personal data means any information relating to a living person that can be used directly or indirectly to identify them.
For example:
- Name
- Staff or student number
- Location data like an IP address (the string of numbers that identifies a computer/device connected to the internet and is linked to your online activity)
- Physical characteristics
- Genetic information
- Cultural information
Extra care must be taken with personal information that is sensitive. This is called special category data, and covers:
- Health data
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Religious beliefs
- Politics
- Sex life
- Sexual orientation
- Biometrics (where used for identity purposes)
- Trade union membership
- Genetics
And information about children and criminal convictions or offences has extra protection too.