Personal Data

Put very simply, personal data is anything which identifies you as an individual. It need not be something which you consider "private". Even something as simple as your name and address are classed as personal data under the Data Protection Act. Anyone who processes personal data must obey this law. (See Processing.) The law is not confined to personal data on paper or computer. It can also apply to images captured by CCTV cameras, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, photos, etc.