EDPB sheds light on anonymisation and web scraping for generative AI and adopts final version of guidelines on blockchain

EDPB sheds light on anonymisation and web scraping for generative AI and adopts final version of guidelines on blockchain

The new EDPB guidelines bring clarity to the notion of anonymous data, taking also into account the ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU in the case C-413/23 P EDPS v SRB of 4 September 2025 and other CJEU jurisprudence.

The guidelines mark a significant milestone in clarifying the notion of anonymous data, establishing clear standards that facilitate the use of data while protecting individuals' fundamental rights.

In developing these guidelines, we incorporated valuable input from our stakeholder event, showing, once more, our strong commitment to collaborative dialogue as outlined in the EDPB Helsinki statement.

Data is anonymous if it does not relate to an identified or identifiable natural person. Whether this is the case may vary from one entity to another.

Information can relate to an individual because of its content, purpose, or effect. The existence of such a link may not be immediately obvious and could require further analysis.

An individual is considered 'identified or identifiable' if they can be distinguished from others in a specific context using means reasonably likely to be used in a way that makes it possible to treat them differently. Whether the means are reasonably likely to be used will depend on the relevant entity’s perspective and should be assessed in light of all objective factors.