Garfinkel, S.
(2015),
De-Identification of Personal Information, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8053
(Accessed October 16, 2025)
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De-Identification of Personal Information
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Abstract
Abstract: De-identification removes identifying information from a dataset so that individual data cannot be linked with specific individuals. De-identification can reduce the privacy risk associated with collecting, processing, archiving, distributing or publishing information. De-identification thus attempts to balance the contradictory goals of using and sharing personal information while protecting privacy. Several U.S laws, regulations and policies specify that data should be de-identified prior to sharing. In recent years researchers have shown that some de-identified data can sometimes be re-identified. Many different kinds of information can be de-identified, including structured information, free format text, multimedia, and medical imagery. This document summarizes roughly two decades of de-identification research, discusses current practices, and presents opportunities for future research.Citation
NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8053
Report Number
8053
NIST Pub Series
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
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Keywords
De-identification, HIPAA Privacy Rule, k-anonymity, differential privacy, re-identification, privacy
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Created October 22, 2015, Updated January 27, 2020