Sources of Personal Information
The same data can be treated differently by source: public records (held by government, available to the public), publicly available information (broadly accessible), and nonpublic information (restricted by law or custom).
How this supports CIPP/US study
Use this lesson to identify the legal source, actor, data and activity before applying a rule to a scenario. Continue with the CIPP/US exam format and blueprint.
| Source | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Public records | Collected/maintained by a government entity and available to the public | Real estate deeds, court filings |
| Publicly available information | Generally available to a wide range of persons | Phone-book names/addresses, newspapers, search engines |
| Nonpublic information | Not generally available due to law or custom | Medical records, financial info, adoption records, customer/employee databases |
A name and address can be a public record on a real estate deed, publicly available in a phone book, and nonpublic inside a health-care patient file. Restrictions may apply to the patient-file use but not to the public-record or publicly available versions, so you must understand the source.
Key terms - quick answers
What is “Public records”?
What is “Publicly available information”?
What is “Nonpublic information”?
Sources and study method
This independent lesson uses active recall, spaced retrieval and scenario practice. Read the full study method.