CIPT (Certified Information Privacy Technologist) Practice

Which type of data is considered sensitive personal data?

1. Data that is widely available to the public

2. Data that reveals racial or ethnic origin or health data

3. Data related to general financial transactions

4. Data collected for marketing purposes

The correct answer is: Data that reveals racial or ethnic origin or health data

Sensitive personal data refers to types of information that require a higher level of protection due to the potential for harm or discrimination if disclosed. This includes data that reveals racial or ethnic origin, health information, political opinions, religious beliefs, and other highly private aspects of an individual's identity. The option indicating that data revealing racial or ethnic origin or health data is considered sensitive personal data is correct because such information is closely tied to an individual's personal identity and can lead to serious privacy violations if mismanaged. The law often classifies these types of data as sensitive and places strict regulations on their collection, processing, and storage to safeguard individuals’ privacy rights and prevent discrimination. In contrast, widely available public data does not typically require the same level of protection because it is not considered personal and can be accessed by anyone. General financial transaction data may be sensitive in certain contexts, but it is not classified in the same way as health or racial information under privacy laws. Marketing data, while it may involve personal profiling, is also generally not deemed sensitive unless it intersects with other personal identifiers in a way that reveals private aspects of an individual’s life.