Personal data

Personal data is information that relates to an identified or reasonably identifiable person, directly or through combination and inference.

Plan for this page

Understand one concept in plain language and connect it to nearby ideas.

You will leave with: It can include names, contact details, identifiers, location, device records, images, voices, behavior, workplace information, or linked pseudonymous records. The exact legal definition depends on jurisdiction.
Time: 3–8 min
Before you begin: No prerequisite. Keep one real example in mind.
Do this now: Read the explanation, then compare the example with the common misunderstanding.

Prepared next stepReview what should be shared

Personal dataPersonal data is information that relates to an identified or reasonably identifiable person, directly or through combination and inference.

Privacy
Sensitive data
Security

Plain explanation

It can include names, contact details, identifiers, location, device records, images, voices, behavior, workplace information, or linked pseudonymous records. The exact legal definition depends on jurisdiction.

Example

A document with a customer number but no name may still be personal data if the organization can connect that number to a person.

Why it matters

AI products may receive personal data in prompts, files, logs, analytics, memory, and tool calls. Purpose, authority, minimization, access, retention, and rights must be considered across the whole flow.

Common misunderstanding

Misconception: only names and government identifiers are personal data. Correction: many indirect identifiers and linked records can identify or relate to a person.

Related concepts

Follow relationships, not only the alphabet

PrivacyPrivacy concerns appropriate control, expectations, and risk around how information about people is collected, inferred, used, shared, retained, and deleted.Sensitive dataSensitive data is information whose exposure, misuse, inference, or alteration could create substantial harm or requires heightened protection.SecuritySecurity protects systems and information against unauthorized access, change, disclosure, disruption, or destruction.

Review what should be shared

Sources and scope

What supports this object

NIST Privacy FrameworkU.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology

Supports analysis of data processing and privacy risk involving individuals; statutory definitions of personal data differ by jurisdiction.

Open source

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