Categories of personal data requiring enhanced protection due to their intimate or consequential nature.
Sensitive personal data encompasses categories that could cause significant harm if exposed, including financial data, health records, biometric data, genetic data, and caste or religious information. While DPDPA 2023 does not create a separate compliance tier for sensitive data as GDPR does, the Rules 2025 impose additional security safeguards and heightened consent requirements for such categories. Data Fiduciaries must implement proportionate security measures.
Processing sensitive data significantly increases your risk exposure. A breach involving health records or financial data attracts higher penalties and greater reputational damage than a breach of basic contact information.
A Bengaluru healthtech startup processing patient medical records, blood test results, and insurance details handles sensitive personal data. It needs stronger encryption, stricter access controls, and more specific consent notices than a basic e-commerce site.
DPDPA 2023 does not explicitly define "sensitive personal data" as a separate legal category like the IT Act 2011 did. However, Rules 2025 effectively reintroduce heightened obligations for high-risk data categories.
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