Categories of Personal Information

Groupings or classifications of personal information types that organizations collect, use, or disclose. Privacy laws often require businesses to disclose these categories rather than listing every specific data point. Common categories include identifiers (names, email addresses), commercial information (purchase history), internet activity (browsing history), geolocation data, audio/visual information, professional information, education information, and inferences drawn from other data. Under CCPA, businesses must disclose categories of personal information collected, the sources of that information, the business purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom information is shared. Using standardized categories helps consumers understand data practices without overwhelming detail. However, categories should be specific enough to be meaningful—overly broad categories that encompass everything don't provide real transparency.