What counts as 'special category' data?
'Special category’ data is personal data that's more sensitive because there could be significant risks posed to an individual's rights and freedoms if it's lost or stolen. Therefore, this kind of data needs more protection.
It includes personal data that reveals:
- Racial or ethnic origin
- Political opinions
- Religious or philosophical beliefs
- Trade union membership
And data concerning:
- Genetic information
- Biometrics (such as fingerprints, retina and iris patterns), where used for identification purposes
- Health – physical or mental
- Sex life
- Sexual orientation
Conditions for processing special category data
To process special category data you need to have both:
The Article 9 conditions mean your processing