Sensitive Personal Data / Special Category Data

Sensitive personal data refers to categories of personal information that may create greater risks for individuals if misused or disclosed.

Under the GDPR, special categories of personal data include information revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data used for identification, health information, and information concerning a person's sex life or sexual orientation.

Processing these categories is generally prohibited unless one of the specific exceptions under Article 9 applies.

Other privacy laws may define sensitive information differently and may include additional categories such as financial information, precise geolocation, government identifiers, or children's data.