What is considered personal data under data security laws?
In Massachusetts, personal data is any information that can be used to identify, contact, or locate a person’s identity. This includes names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers. In addition to any of these pieces of information, any combination of two different pieces of personal data could be considered as personal data. Also included under data security laws in Massachusetts are medical and health information, biometric information, and genetic information. This means that any information, data, or images related to an individual’s physical or mental health, such as medical records, are considered personal data. Additionally, any data related to biometric items such as fingerprints, retinal scans, and voice prints is considered personal data. Finally, any genealogical information related to someone’s genetic information is also considered personal data. Overall, Massachusetts data security laws recognize a wide range of information as personal data. Any information that could be used to identify or locate a person’s identity is considered personal data under the law. This includes any combination of two different pieces of personal data, as well as any medical, health, biometric, or genetic information. This is all in an effort to protect the privacy of Massachusetts residents and to ensure that their personal data is kept safe.
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