What is personal information under the CCPA?

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants consumers enhanced control over their personal information collected by businesses. A fundamental part of compliance is understanding what constitutes "personal information" under the CCPA and the specific categories it encompasses.

Defining personal information under the CCPA

The CCPA defines personal information broadly, covering any data that can identify, relate to, or be linked to a particular consumer or household.

What is personal information as defined in CCPA?

The CCPA defines personal information broadly as data that "identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household."

Read further: State of California

What are the data categories for CCPA?

This broad CCPA personal information definition includes the following categories:

• Identifiers: Examples include real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, IP address, email address, account name, Social Security number, driver's license, passport number, and similar identifiers.
• Customer records: Encompasses information such as name, signature, Social Security number, physical characteristics, address, telephone number, passport or driver’s license number, insurance details, bank account numbers, and other financial or medical data.
• Protected classifications: Characteristics protected by California or federal law, such as race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and military status.
• Commercial information: Records of personal property, products or services purchased or considered, and consumer histories or tendencies.
• Biometric information: Physiological or behavioral characteristics, like DNA, used for identity verification.
• Internet or electronic activity: Includes browsing history, search history, and information about online interactions with websites, apps, or ads.
• Geolocation data: Information detailing a consumer's physical location.
• Sensory data: Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information.
• Professional or employment-related information: Job history or performance evaluations.
• Education information: Non-public education information as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Inferences: Insights drawn from other data points to create a profile about a consumer’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, behaviors, and attitudes.

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Exclusions from personal information under the CCPA

The CCPA excludes certain data from its definition of personal information, such as:

• Publicly available information: Data legally made available from government records.
• De-identified or aggregated consumer information: Information that cannot reasonably identify, relate to, describe, or link to a specific consumer.

Implications of CCPA personal information definitions for businesses

The CCPA protects personal information by obliging for-profit businesses that do business in California or with state residents to comply with its regulations. These generally require businesses to be transparent about their data practices. 

Understanding these definitions is essential for businesses to:

1. Ensure compliance: Identifying and categorizing personal information accurately helps businesses align with CCPA standards.
2. Enhance transparency: Clear disclosures about data collection and usage strengthen consumer trust.
3. Implement consumer rights: Facilitating rights for access, deletion, and opting out of personal data sales as stipulated by the CCPA.

Businesses can achieve this with an updated CCPA privacy policy, including an opt-out option on their website (aka a “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” page), and with training for their employees about the law, among other compliance actions.

To ensure that your business is CCPA-compliant, make sure to be informed about the law and to review your data practices to see if they align with CCPA regulations. For example, are you prepared to respond expediently to the CCPA right to deletion?

For a comprehensive understanding of personal information under the CCPA, refer to the full legal text, and get in touch for a comprehensive CCPA compliance software solution.

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