Types of personal data

Some datadata: information without context, eg a list of students with numbers beside their names is data, when it's made clear that those numbers represent their placing in a 100 metre race, the data becomes information and informationinformation: data with context or meaning stored on a computer is personal and needs to be kept confidential. People want to keep their pay, bank details, and medical records private and away from the view of just anybody. If someone who is not entitled to see these details can obtain access without permission it is unauthorised access. The Data Protection ActData Protection Act 1998 (DPA): legislation passed by parliament that governs the protection of personal data in the UK sets up rules to prevent this happening.

Two types of personal data

Personal data is about living people and could be:

• their name
• address
• medical details or banking details

Sensitive personal data is also about living people, but it includes one or more details of a data subject'sdata subject: anyone who has data stored about them that's outside their direct control:

• racial or ethnic origin
• political opinions
• religion
• membership of a trade union
• health
• sex life
• criminal activity

There are less safeguards for personal data than there are for sensitive personal data. In most cases a person must be asked specifically if sensitive data can be kept about them.