What is personal data?

‘Personal data' means any information which can identify a living person. A person's name and contact details will be personal data, as will any information about how they look, their money situation, religion etc. Photographs and things which identify you online such as usernames and passwords are also personal data.

We use personal data where:

• you have told us that we are allowed to do so
• you have entered into a contract with the council
• we must do so to follow the law
• it is necessary to protect somebody's life
• we must do so to complete our tasks in the public interest or we are officially allowed to do so as a district council; or
• we must do so for the council's or a third party's legitimate interests - but only if this is not to do with our official tasks as a district council.

Some personal data is ‘special'. This means that it is about a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, health, sexuality or sex life. It also includes genetic data and biometric data such as your DNA or fingerprints. Special personal data have extra rules for us to follow under data protection law.

We use special personal data in circumstances where:

• you have told us that we are allowed to do so
• we need to use your personal data for things we must do or are allowed to do in the areas of employment, social security and social protection law
• it is necessary to protect somebody's life
• you have specifically made the information public
• we need to use your data to put together, use of defend against legal claims
• we need to use your data for reasons of large public interest
• we need to use your data for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine
• we need to use your data for public health reasons; or
• we need to use your data for scientific, historical or statistical reasons

Personal data relating to criminal convictions and children also has extra rules to follow.

You should know that you do not always know or agree for us to collect or use your personal data.

More guidance on data protection is available on the Information Commissioner's Office's website.