The Data State Inspectorate ('DVI') published, on 29 July 2022, a guide on pseudonymised and anonymised data. In particular, the guide notes that according to the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) ('GDPR'), the 'pseudonymisation' of data means the replacement of any information that could be used to identify a person by a pseudonym or, in other words, a value that does not allow the person to be directly identified.

In this regard, the guide states that pseudonymisation can be used as an additional safeguard, for example to protect data transferred to a third country, or in any other situation where the data being processed requires additional protection. Furthermore, the guide highlights that pseudonymised information can be made personal again by using additional information but such additional information, which can identify a specific natural person in the pseudonymised dataset, must be kept separate from the pseudonymised data and must be carefully protected. Moreover, with respect to anonymised data, the guide provides that anonymised data is not considered personal data and is therefore not covered by the GDPR. Lastly, the guide outlines that data can be considered anonymised if the individuals are no longer identifiable and the original information sets must be deleted to prevent the possibility of reversible anonymisation.

You can read the guide, only available in Latvian, here.