What is considered personal data?
Personal data refers to any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (a “data subject”). That means someone can be identified, directly or indirectly, by that information. Identifiers may include name, ID number, location data, online identifiers (like IP address or cookie ID), or factors tied to physical, physiological, genetic, economic, cultural or social identity.
When “personal data” becomes relevant for startups
| Scenario | Why It Matters |
| Handling customer/user registration | You’ll collect names, addresses, emails, maybe phone numbers—these are personal data |
| Logging or tracking user behavior via IPs, cookies, device IDs | These online identifiers are considered personal data under GDPR etc. |
| Collecting health, biometric or financial info | These are sensitive types; law typically requires stronger protection |
| Operating in or serving users in regulated regions (EU, UK, etc.) | The definition triggers legal obligations for collection, processing, storage etc. |
Types & examples of personal data
Here are common kinds of personal data to be aware of:
| Type | Examples |
| Basic identifiers | Name, home address, phone number, email address |
| Online identifiers | IP address, device ID, cookie ID, user login credentials |
| Sensitive / special category data | Health data, biometric data, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, sexual orientation |
| Financial / commercial data | Bank account number, credit card info, purchase history |
| Location / geolocation data | GPS data, movement patterns from a mobile phone or device |
What is not always personal data
- Data that is truly anonymized so that no individual can be identified (directly or indirectly) is often not considered personal data under GDPR. Pseudonymized data (where identifiers are replaced but re‑identification is still possible) is still considered personal data.
- Information about groups, companies, or legal entities (when not linked to natural persons) usually isn’t personal data.
Ensure your startup handles personal data correctly. Talk to Sprinto’s experts to automate compliance and secure sensitive information across systems.
What startups should do now
- Audit what data you collect and map where personal data lives in your system
- Classify data by sensitivity (e.g. basic vs special category) so you know what needs extra protection
- Handle identifiers carefully (IP addresses, cookie IDs, etc.), since even these can be personal data under privacy laws
- Ensure clear policies for consent, storage, access, and deletion of personal data
Sprinto’s help
Sprinto helps you identify which kinds of data you’re collecting or storing, classify them properly, and apply the needed protections (consent, minimization, encryption). That way you can ensure your data practices meet legal expectations and minimize risk.
