Special Category Data
Sensitive personal data under GDPR that receives additional protection, including health, biometric, racial, and religious data.
Special category data (GDPR Article 9) is personal data that is particularly sensitive and requires additional protection. The categories are: racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data (for identification purposes), health data, and data concerning sex life or sexual orientation. Processing special category data is generally prohibited unless one of ten specific conditions applies, including: explicit consent, employment/social security law obligations, vital interests, legitimate activities of a foundation/association, data manifestly made public, legal claims, substantial public interest, health/social care purposes, public health, and archiving/research purposes. Additional safeguards must be in place when processing this type of data.