GDPR dilemma: Does a full name contained in a URL constitute PII as stated by Google Analytics?
<p>But wait, it gets better: This full name belongs to person who was interviewed in an article under this URL.</p>

<p><a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7686480?hl=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7686480?hl=en</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What Google considers PII: ... full names or usernames</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Now, probably the right question would be: Should common CMS's such as Wordpress censor names from URLs?</p>

<p>PS: This is a rather food for thought question, I do not expect you to provide a correct answer, I am more interested in your point of view on this specific use case.</p>

<p>You are mixing your terms; <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/art-4-gdpr/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GDPR</a> talks about personal data:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>‘Personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or
  identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural
  person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in
  particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an
  identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one
  or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic,
  mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>PII is more a US term, for which NIST says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>PII is any information about an individual maintained by an agency,
  including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace
  an individual‘s identity, such as name, social security number, date
  and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records; and
  (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual,
  such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Either way around, a name is clearly personal data. However, that just means it has to be processed appropriately. You can't sue Twitter because <a href="https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump</a> might identify a particular individual.</p>

gdpr