ikätietoja

Ikätietoja is Finnish for information about a person’s age. In data handling, ikätietoja refers to data elements that identify or can identify someone’s age, which may be stored as exact age, birth year, or age category. The term is commonly used in contexts such as age verification for services with age restrictions, demographic statistics, product development, and research.

When collecting ikätietoja, organizations rely on data protection principles and applicable laws, notably the EU General Data Protection Regulation and Finnish privacy regulations. This includes establishing a lawful basis for processing, specifying purposes, and minimizing data collection to what is necessary for the stated purpose. Age data can be sensitive in certain contexts, so access controls, encryption, and other security measures are important to protect individuals’ privacy.

Data quality considerations for ikätietoja include accuracy, timeliness, and clear definitions of how age is represented (exact age versus age bands). Retention should be limited to what is needed for the purpose and in line with legal requirements, with appropriate data governance and documentation. When sharing ikätietoja across systems or with third parties, organizations should use data sharing agreements and obtain consent where required.

In analysis and reporting, it is common to anonymize or aggregate age data to reduce re-identification risk. The term ikätietoja may appear in privacy policies, consent forms, data dictionaries, and governance documents within Finnish organizations, reflecting its role as a standard data element in handling personal information related to age.