/Glossary · Defined term
personal data
Defined in section 2(t) of the Act.
Act, section 2(t)
(t) “personal data” means any data about an individual who is identifiable by or in relation to such data;
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act defines "personal data" as any data about an individual who can be identified by that data, or in relation to that data. This means the information must connect to a specific, identifiable human being to be considered personal data under the law. The definition is written broadly to capture different ways a person might be identified. It covers data that directly identifies someone on its own. It also covers data that can identify an individual when it is linked or evaluated "in relation to" other information. If a piece of data is completely anonymous and cannot be used to identify an individual, it does not meet this definition and is not considered personal data.
Key points
- Personal data must be about an individual. [Section 2(t)]
- The individual must be identifiable by the data itself or in relation to the data. [Section 2(t)]
Common misreadings
- Assuming personal data only includes direct identifiers, when the text explicitly includes data where a person is identifiable "in relation to" such data.
- Assuming data about a business or company is personal data, whereas the definition specifies it must be about an "individual".
Interpretation prepared from the official text only, 9 September 2026. The official text above prevails.
/MYND · DPDP practice
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