Sensitive personal information generally refers to data that, if disclosed, could harm someone or violate their privacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the exact definition varies depending on the privacy law in question, sensitive personal information typically includes information like precise geolocation, health information, Social Security numbers, financial information, and religious or philosophical beliefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This type of information usually requires a higher level of protection due to its potentially harmful nature if misused. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personal information that reveals: (a) consumer\u2019s social security, driver\u2019s license, state identification card, or passport number; (b) A consumer\u2019s account log-in, financial account, debit card, or credit card number in combination with any required security or access code, password, or credentials allowing access to an account; (c) A consumer\u2019s precise geolocation; (d) A consumer\u2019s racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, or union membership; (e) the contents of a consumer\u2019s mail, email, and text messages unless the business is the intended recipient of the communication; (f) A consumer\u2019s genetic data; (g) health related data. – Clym<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sensitive personal information is a subset of personal information, which is data that identifies a person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sensitive personal information requires more robust protection than personal information due to its nature and potential harm that could come from its compromise or misuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The distinction lies in the level of impact on the individual’s privacy and the potential risks involved if the data were to be accessed or disclosed without authorization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As per the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), sensitive data (or special categories of personal data) includes genetic data, biometric data, and health data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It also includes personal data that reveals ethnic and racial origin, religious\/ideological convictions, trade union membership, and political opinions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The definition of sensitive personal information is similar across different US state laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act<\/a> (CCPA) defines sensitive personal information as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2023, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 947 (AB 947<\/a>) into law, which added <\/a>citizenship and immigration status to the CCPA’s definition of \u201csensitive personal information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the CCPA, consumers can limit how businesses use and disclose personal information that\u2019s deemed sensitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act<\/a> (CTDPA), sensitive data includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Controllers must get consumers\u2019 consent before processing sensitive data under the CTDPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you live in a state with a privacy law, you can see what qualifies as sensitive data by searching for \u201c (your state law) + sensitive personal information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, when it comes to keeping your sensitive personal information private, much of it is out of your hands and in the hands of the organization that has it\u2014especially if you live in a state without a comprehensive consumer privacy law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there are some steps you can take to improve the privacy of your sensitive personal information. These include the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n What Is Sensitive Personal Information? Sensitive personal information generally refers to data that, if disclosed, could harm someone or violate their privacy. Although the exact definition varies depending on the privacy law in question, sensitive personal information typically includes information like precise geolocation, health information, Social Security numbers, financial information, and religious or philosophical beliefs. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9919","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/9919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/glossary"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/9919\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Sensitive Personal Information vs. Personal Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sensitive Personal Information Under the GDPR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sensitive Personal Information Under US State Laws<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Keep Your Sensitive Personal Information Private<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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