Most regulations identify specific types of personal data as ‘special categories’ of personal data meriting specific protections, as the nature of these categories means their processing could create significant risks to individuals’ fundamental rights and freedoms.
These are ‘personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.