個人資料保護法於2012年10月1日開始正式施行，然施行後至今，新聞媒體上常出現相關爭議與批評。究其主要原因即在社會大眾對個資法所規定「個人資料」究竟為何？其保護範圍又應如何界定？未有充分之理解所致。如對個資之概念及特性能正確掌握，並將個資法保護個資之範圍清楚界定，自能減少爭議，落實在保護個人人格權益前提下，建立合理利用個資秩序之立法目的。再思及電子商務已為各國商業、經濟活動重要之一環；跨國傳遞個資為完成國際交易或經營多國籍企業管理上日常事務執行之一部，為讓各國間安心順利蒐集、傳送個資，符合建置國際性規約之個資法，以規範有關個資之蒐集、利用至其安全維護，以利用國際間商務往來，為各國發展經濟之重要策略。有鑑於此，本文依我國個資法相關規定，並參酌歐盟、日本、加拿大等國之立法例、判決等，解析個資之概念及要件，並檢視個資法所保護個資之範圍，及探討與此關連之人肉搜尋、Google街景攝影所引發之問題。

The purpose of the Personal Data Protection Act, is intend to balance and promote both effective information privacy protection and free flow of information. Therefore, in promoting and enforcing appropriate information privacy protection, there also a need to consider the value of Personal Data Protection Act to information social. In order to realize the purpose, the Act has provided provisions which exclude some categories of Personal data from the scope of regulation, an unnecessary restriction to the flow of information will be avoided.Base on the Act, two categories of Personal data are excluded from the scope of regulation. One, the Act is not intended to apply to an individual who collects, holds, processes or uses Personal data in connection with the individual's Personal, family or household affairs. The other, the Act has limited application to the personal data about an individual, that the individual knowingly makes or permits to be made available to the public.The first this article describe the elements of Personal data. The second, discuss those provisions about two categories of Personal data that is excluded from regulation scope, analysis those provisions whether make clear the extent of exclusive scope, and to examine the exclusive scope which is really provide adequate protection to individuals. Particularly the Act how to deal with Google Street View is an important issue.The articles also introduce the similar provisions in Japanese and Canadian personal data protection Act.