Special categories of personal data, as defined in Article 9 of the GDPR, include data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data for identification purposes, health data, and data concerning sexual life or orientation. Processing these categories is prohibited by default, with limited exceptions such as explicit consent, employment law obligations or substantial public interest.
The heightened sensitivity of these data categories demands proportionally stronger protective measures, including encryption at rest and in transit, strict access controls and comprehensive Data Protection Impact Assessments. Organisations must be able to demonstrate a valid legal basis for each processing activity involving special categories and maintain thorough documentation for regulatory scrutiny.