Data is information in a specific language or format.
Data could be any type of information, but typically is media.
Digital data is formatted as units, sequences and sets of data elements. Each type of data element represents an intentionally informative element in a data format.
Some data elements could be considered either simple or compound, depending on the level of detail at which complexly formatted data is viewed. For example, each of the 26 letters in the English alphabet is a simple element in written language, but can be digitally encoded as a compound string of bits via the Unicode standard.