Data pseudonymization

In a nutshell, data pseudonymization is a method used to minimize the chance that personal data and identifiers would enable to identify a person.

Article 4(5) of GDPR states that:

‘pseudonymisation’ means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.

Benefits of using data pseudonymization:

  • You’re allowed to use it for the different purposes that it was collected for
  • You’re free from processing data subject requests regarding data access, rectification or erasure
  • You prove that you’re following protection by design and data privacy principles

Under GDPR, pseudonymization techniques are not enough to provide full anonymity of the data.

In terms of GDPR we can pseudonymise data like:

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

Most popular methods of data pseudonymization:

Scrambling

Encryption

Masking

Tokenization

Data blurring

Read more about pseudonymization on the Piwik PRO blog:


  • 25 years of digital analytics with Brian Clifton: Being data-informed, not just data-driven

    As organizations increasingly rely on data in their business decisions, the challenges of ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and ethical collection are becoming more and more important. Along with understanding the audience’s needs, supporting collaboration between teams, and securing privacy compliance, these challenges have evolved into data collection and analytics priorities.  Let’s dive into the third…

    Read more

  • Piwik PRO is HIPAA certified

    Piwik PRO is officially HIPAA certified!

    At Piwik PRO, ensuring the highest level of security and data protection has always been our top priority. Developing privacy-friendly analytics is just one aspect of our commitment. We validate our approach by obtaining external certifications from independent organizations. As such, we are pleased to announce that a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)…

    Read more