What defines de-identified data?

De-identified data is characterized by the removal of personal information that could be used to identify an individual. This process ensures that the data cannot be linked back to any specific person, which is essential for maintaining privacy and compliance with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in the healthcare sector. By stripping away identifiers, such as names, social security numbers, and any distinguishing characteristics, the data can be used for analysis and research without compromising individual privacy.

In contrast, the other options involve retaining identifiable information. Complete personal information would explicitly include identifying details that de-identified data does not maintain, while exact dates of events and transactions or all demographic information could still allow for the potential identification of individuals, contradicting the essence of de-identification. Therefore, de-identified data must be fundamentally about the inability to trace data back to an individual, which is what makes it useful in various research and analytical contexts without violating personal confidentiality.