De-identification

Overview

Teaching: 10 min
Exercises: 10 min

Questions

• How can I remove PII from library data?

Objectives

• Distinguish between de-identification & anonymization

• Use a combination of approaches to de-identify data

FIXME

Key Points

• De-identification is the process of removing or obscuring PII, such that the remaining information does not identify an individual.

• De-identified information can be re-identified, given access to the right information (e.g. the algorithm or pseudonym used for de-identification or sufficient data from other sources about the patrons in the original data).

• Anonymization is the process of de-identifying information in such a way that it cannot be re-identified, usually by means of statistical disclosure limitation techniques.

• Due to continuous advances in computation technology, full anonymity is difficult (some would say impossible) to guarantee.