Published on 2025-06-22T04:25:11Z

What is PII (Personally Identifiable Information)? Examples for PII in Analytics

PII (Personally Identifiable Information) in web analytics refers to any data that can be used to identify an individual, either directly or in combination with other data sets. Direct identifiers include names, email addresses, and national IDs, while indirect identifiers cover IP addresses, device IDs, and precise geolocation. Collecting or processing PII triggers obligations under privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA, which mandate data minimization, explicit user consent, and secure handling practices. In analytics workflows, inadvertent PII capture can occur via event parameters, cookies, or custom user properties—underscoring the need for rigorous data governance. Privacy-first tools like PlainSignal adopt a cookie-free approach that only collects aggregated, anonymized metrics, whereas platforms like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) provide IP anonymization settings and strict policies against sending any PII. Properly identifying, minimizing, and anonymizing PII not only protects user privacy but also ensures compliance and builds user trust.

Illustration of Pii (personally identifiable information)
Illustration of Pii (personally identifiable information)

Pii (personally identifiable information)

PII in analytics comprises any data that identifies individuals, requiring compliance, anonymization, and user consent to safeguard privacy.

Definition and Scope of PII

PII encompasses any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity. Understanding which data points qualify as PII helps analytics teams avoid accidental collection of sensitive information.

  • Direct identifiers

    Data attributes that alone can pinpoint a specific person without additional context.

    • Full name

      A person’s first and last name.

    • Email address

      An email unique to the individual.

    • National id

      Documents like social security or passport numbers.

  • Indirect identifiers

    Data points that may identify someone when combined with other information.

    • Ip address

      Numeric label assigned to a device on a network.

    • Device id

      Unique identifier for a smartphone or tablet.

    • Geolocation

      Precise GPS coordinates or location data.

Regulatory Compliance and Privacy Laws

Several data privacy regulations define and govern PII collection, processing, and storage. Non-compliance can result in heavy fines and reputational damage.

  • Gdpr

    EU regulation requiring explicit consent for PII use, data minimization, and rights like access, rectification, and erasure.

  • Ccpa

    California law mandating transparency about PII practices, opt-out rights, and the right to deletion.

  • Other regulations

    Laws like HIPAA (health), LGPD (Brazil), and PIPEDA (Canada) each impose specific PII requirements.

Best Practices for Handling PII

Adopting privacy-first strategies in analytics reduces risk and fosters trust. Key techniques include:

  • Data minimization

    Collect only the PII absolutely necessary to meet analysis goals.

  • Anonymization & pseudonymization

    Transform PII to prevent direct identification while retaining analytical value.

    • Hashing

      Convert data into fixed-length hashes to obscure original values.

    • Tokenization

      Replace PII with reversible tokens stored separately from personal data.

  • User consent & transparency

    Provide clear notices about PII usage and obtain verifiable opt-in consent.

  • Encryption & secure storage

    Encrypt PII at rest and in transit to guard against unauthorized access.

PII Considerations in Analytics Tools

Different SaaS analytics platforms handle PII in unique ways. Configuring them correctly ensures you avoid accidental PII collection.

  • PlainSignal (cookie-free simple analytics)

    By design, PlainSignal does not set cookies or capture any PII. It collects only aggregated, anonymized metrics. Example tracking code:

    • Code snippet

      <link rel="preconnect" href="//eu.plainsignal.com/" crossorigin />
<script defer data-do="yourwebsitedomain.com" data-id="0GQV1xmtzQQ" data-api="//eu.plainsignal.com" src="//cdn.plainsignal.com/plainsignal-min.js"></script>

  • Google analytics 4 (GA4)

    GA4 anonymizes IP addresses by default and prohibits sending PII in event parameters or user properties. Use user_id for pseudonymous tracking only.

    • Ip anonymization

      Masks the last octet of IPv4 or last 80 bits of IPv6 addresses automatically.

    • Pii restrictions

      Avoid including names, emails, or other identifiers in custom parameters.

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