What defines personally identifiable information (PII)?

Personally identifiable information (PII) is defined as any data that could potentially be used to identify a specific individual. This broad category encompasses various forms of information, including names, social security numbers, addresses, and other data points that can be linked to an individual in a way that reveals their identity. The critical aspect of PII is its ability to distinguish an individual from others, making it a focal point in data protection and privacy discussions.

The other choices do not capture the essence of PII. Information unrelated to an individual lacks personal identifiers and therefore does not meet the criteria for PII. General demographic data of a population aggregates information without identifying specific individuals, which can't be categorized as PII. Similarly, records capturing employee performance metrics might be specific to individuals but are not classified as PII unless they contain personal identifiers. Thus, the definition of PII specifically pertains to any representation that can identify an individual, solidifying option B as the correct answer.