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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:

  • 4 ways to make your analytics HIPAA-compliant: Implementation guide

    Healthcare organizations have four main approaches to achieving HIPAA-compliant analytics. Each has different trade-offs in cost, technical complexity, and analytics capabilities. This guide compares all four implementation methods – from using Google Analytics with workarounds to deploying fully HIPAA-compliant analytics platforms – so you can choose the right approach for your organization’s needs and resources.

  • Is Google Analytics HIPAA-compliant?

    If you use Google Analytics or similar software, you’re likely already optimizing your website to serve your customers better. But what about Google Analytics and HIPAA compliance? In short – if you’re a HIPAA-covered entity, using GA4 puts you at serious risk of a HIPAA breach. Google states that Google Analytics doesn’t satisfy HIPAA requirements. And…

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