What is PII and Personal Data?

  • Updated

In today's data-driven world, personal information is an invaluable asset, often used to enhance our digital experiences and provide personalized services. However, this widespread collection and use of personal data raises concerns about privacy and the potential for misuse. To effectively protect an individual's privacy and ensure responsible data handling practices, it is crucial to understand the concept of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data that can be used to identify, contact, or locate a specific individual. This includes such information as name, address, phone number, email address, driver's license number, and passport number. PII can be used for a variety of purposes, including marketing and fraud prevention.

Personal Data

Personal data is any information that relates to a living individual. This includes PII, as well as other information that is not directly identifiable, such as IP addresses, cookie data, and location data. Personal data can be used for a variety of purposes, including marketing, research, and product development. SheerID retains personal data provided by consumers on the verification form for two (2) years by default.

PII Purge Compliance

When submitting a verification request, a consumer provides PII that can be deleted when it is no longer needed. If a consumer wishes to have their PII purged in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you can locate their request in the Customer Service Search Tool and purge the PII from your SheerID program.

Purging data from SheerID only deletes the information from your SheerID program, it does not purge information from your CRM or account management system. Once purged, all PII data will be removed from the verification. This is a non-reversible process.