GDPR Glossary

What is Processing?

Almost anything you do with personal data — collecting, storing, using, sharing, or even deleting it.

Processing means any operation performed on personal data: collection, recording, organisation, storage, use, disclosure, combination, restriction, erasure or destruction — whether automated or manual.

Because the definition is so wide, simply holding data on a server counts as processing, and every act of processing needs a lawful basis.

In the Regulation

Art. 4 Definitions Art. 6 Lawfulness of processing Art. 5 Principles relating to processing of personal data

Related terms

Lawful basisOne of the six legal grounds in Article 6 that every act of processing must rely on.Purpose limitationCollect data for specified, explicit purposes and don't reuse it in incompatible ways.Data minimisationCollect only the personal data you actually need for your purpose — no more.

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