An individual whose personal information is processed is commonly referred to as a data subject. This term is used in various data protection laws, including the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the EU and similar frameworks globally. A data subject is a living natural person who is either identified or identifiable, directly or indirectly, through personal data such as name, identification number, location data, or other factors specific to their identity
. Personal data refers to any information relating to this identified or identifiable individual. Processing of personal data includes any operation performed on such data, such as collecting, storing, using, disclosing, or erasing it
. The data subject’s personal information can include names, addresses, photos, IP addresses, and other identifiers that can link data to the individual
. In summary:
- The individual whose personal information is processed is called the data subject.
- Personal data relates to any information that identifies or can identify this individual.
- Processing personal data means any use or handling of that data by organizations or individuals
