re-identification

n.

The process of matching anonymous census data with the individuals who provided the data.

Example Citation:

"In a corner of the U.S. Census Bureau, a small group of statisticians has been sweating out the agency's nightmare scenario: 're-identification.' That's the term for a technique that the bureau fears could allow marketers and other "intruders" to match anonymous census information with the names of the people who provided it. Such a concern is largely theoretical, so far. But if perfected, the technique could have great appeal to marketers of everything from french fries to financial services."

— Glenn R. Simpson, "The 2000 Count: Bureau Blurs Data To Keep Names Confidential," The Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2001

Notes:

The Wall Street Journal article cited above also mentions the term data swapping, a technique in which important bits of census data are swapped between two people who live near each other and have similar backgrounds. This is a countermeasure against re-identification because it "blurs" the data, making it less attractive to marketing types and anyone else who might want to take advantage of the riches of a census:

"The bureau for decades has engaged in a little-known technique called 'data swapping,' in which a few key pieces of information about one person are switched with those of another person with a similar background living nearby. The process allows researchers to continue to draw valid observations from the file, since the swapping doesn't change the totals for each data column within a census block."

— Glenn R. Simpson, "The 2000 Count: Bureau Blurs Data To Keep Names Confidential," The Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2001

Related Words:

clickprint

data exhaust

data shadow

dataveillance

privacy management

sousveillance

stylometrician

Category:

Data