What does the term "personal information" generally refer to?

The term "personal information" generally refers to information that can identify an individual directly or indirectly. This encompasses a wide range of data, including names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and even identifiers like IP addresses or cookies that can link back to an individual. The essence of personal information lies in its ability to relate to a specific person, making it sensitive and subject to various privacy regulations and protections.

Understanding personal information is critical for privacy professionals, as handling such data responsibly is fundamental to maintaining individual privacy rights and compliance with global data protection laws, such as the GDPR and CCPA. These regulations highlight the importance of protecting personal information due to its potential misuse, illustrating why this classification of data is significant. By focusing on how such information can identify individuals, privacy managers can better implement policies and practices to secure it effectively.