What is pseudonymous data?

Pseudonymous data refers to personal data that is processed in such a way that it can no longer be attributed to a specific individual without the use of additional information. This means that while the data may contain identifiers, those identifiers have been replaced with pseudonyms which prevent direct identification.

For instance, if customer names are replaced with unique user IDs in a dataset, the data becomes pseudonymous. While it is still personal data, anything that can link it back to an identifiable individual would require access to separate data, often stored securely. This practice enhances privacy since it limits the ability to connect data back to the individuals without proper authorization or access to the necessary additional data.

This concept is important in the realm of data privacy regulations, emphasizing that although the data can be related back to a person, it requires extra steps to de-anonymize it, thus providing a layer of protection for individual identities.