What is personal data? Does name, and email come under the scope of personal data?

Personal data is any information concerning a natural person identified or identifiable directly or indirectly under the GDPR.  The definition is generalized consciously so that it could allow any sort of information that might help someone identify another person in today’s world.

According to the GDPR, the information has to be processed in such a way that can identify the individual or may be indirectly. This extends beyond basic information, readily identifiable including, but not limited to, name and email address.

Types of personal data include:

• Basic identifiers: Name, date of birth, and SSNs.
• Contact details: Email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers, and or physical addresses.
• Online identifiers: IP addresses, cookie data, and device IDs.
• Academic or professional identifiers: Job titles, academic records.
• Physical details: Photographs, voice recordings, and biometric data
• Financial data: Bank account numbers, credit card details
• Health and genetic data: Medical records, DNA profiles
• Cultural or social identifiers: Racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs

Under GDPR and due to the precision of its language it can be stated that names, without any qualms, fall under personal data. The simplest names can also be personal data if combined with other data resulting in an individual’s identification.

Specifically, email addresses are also considered as personal data. First-nameotypic formats include single last names with or without additional numbers, such as john.doe@company.com ; business-account-like formats ; and the mix of first, last, and middle names with additional numbers, such as john_doe_1985@company.com. However, even the so-called generic email addresses, such as info @ company.com, can be personal data if connecting this address to a particular person is possible.

The nature of the information also plays a role in deciding whether an information is regarded as personal data. For instance, a first name is not generally regarded to be personal data, however, when combined with other information or a last name, address it becomes personal data.