The personally Identifiable Information (PII) is data that can be used singularly or with other data to identify, contact, or locate a single person. The classification of any specific datum as PII is dictated by laws or regulations of the relevant government or jurisdiction. PII can be divided into two categories: linked information and linkable information. Linked information can be used to identify an individual and includes the following:
- Full name
- Home address
- Email address
- Social security number
- Passport number
- Driver's license number
- Credit card numbers
- Date of birth
- Telephone number
- Login details
Linkable information is information that, by itself, cannot be used to identify a person but that when combined with another piece of information, could identify, trace, or locate a person. Examples include the following:
- Country, state, city, postcode
- First or last name
- Gender
- Non-specific age
- Race
- Job position and workplace
Non-personally identifiable information (non-PII) is data that cannot be used on its own to identify, trace, or identify a person. Examples of this are the following:
- Device IDs
- IP addresses
- Cookies