Back to all glossary articles

Data anonymization

Data anonymization is the use of one or more techniques designed to make it impossible to identify a particular individual from stored data related to them. That kind of data bring significant benefits to businesses collecting data since anonymous data is not personal data for the purposes of GDPR.

Anonymous data doesn’t require any additional safeguards to ensure its security. Among other things, this means that, you don’t need to get consent to process it and it can be exported internationally.

In terms of GDPR we can anonymize data such as:

  • login details
  • device IDs
  • IP addresses
  • cookies
  • device type
  • language preference
  • time zones

Example methods of data anonymization:

  • Noise Addition – example: height: 180 cm → height: 320 cm
  • Aggregation – example: Age: 30 → Age: 20-35
  • Substitution – example: : 10120 → ZIP: postcode

To get more details on data anonymization, read the Piwik PRO blog:

  • PHI and PII

    PHI and PII: How they impact HIPAA compliance and your marketing strategy

    Personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) may seem similar. However, there are critical distinctions between the two. While PII is a catch-all term for any information that can be associated with an individual, PHI applies specifically to HIPAA-covered entities dealing with identifiable patient information. Keeping HIPAA compliant and protecting patient information requires…

  • How can healthcare organizations benefit from using a customer data platform (CDP)

    Like many industries, healthcare has been undergoing significant change and is under immense pressure. Patients expect personalized healthcare experiences, but are increasingly aware of their privacy rights and demand that their data is safe and not misused. Healthcare providers have been seeking ways to connect, scale, and leverage customer data more effectively to meet consumers’…

Other definitions

Recent posts from Piwik PRO blog