'Anonymized Data' Is A Gibberish Term, And Rampant Location Data Sales Is Still A Problem
The article argues that the widespread assumption that anonymized data is safe is fundamentally flawed, particularly regarding user location information. Despite industry claims that stripping personal identifiers eliminates risk, research demonstrates that location traces are highly unique and easily re-identified when cross-referenced with other datasets. This revelation undermines the legal and ethical defenses used by corporations to justify their data collection practices, highlighting a dangerous gap between public perception and technical reality. Consequently, a vast, opaque market for location data persists, fueled by non-transparent data brokers who sell this sensitive information without meaningful user consent or disclosure. Companies like Veraset operate with significant secrecy, obscuring the origins of the data and the apps involved in its harvesting. This lack of transparency prevents users from understanding the extent to which their digital movements are commodified, creating an environment where privacy violations are commonplace and difficult to track or challenge. The relevance to open data lies in the urgent need for transparency and accountability in how such datasets are handled. The current stagnation in federal privacy reform and the failure of regulatory efforts allow these practices to continue unchecked, relying on the false premise of anonymity. This situation underscores the critical importance of advocating for open standards in data governance that prioritize user rights and verifiable privacy protections, rather than allowing corporations to hide behind misleading definitions of data safety.
Source: techdirt.comPublished on 2023-12-08