The California Consumer Privacy Act gives consumers in California more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them. And it places legal requirements on businesses that collect and use personal information.
So what is “personal information”?
Personal information (sometimes called “PI”) is defined as:
Information that
- identifies,
- relates to,
- describes,
- is reasonably capable of being associated with or
- could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, to a particular consumer or household.
Categories of PI include:
Basic identifying information, like
Name
Email address
Mailing address
SSN
Financial Account Information
Signature
Physical Characteristics
Passport
Driver's License
Sensitive personal infirmation (race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, etc.).
Internet Activity, like
Search or Browsing History
Cookie Data
Interest Data
IP Addresses
Online Interactions
Behavioral data, like
Tendencies
Products/Services Considered
Inferences
Interest Data
Order History
Purchase History
AND
Biometric information
Geolocation information
Professional / Employment-related information
Education-related information
There are even more categories - these are just some of the most common. The definition of “Personal Information” under the CCPA is very broad!
