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Identification Risks of Microdata

Author

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  • WALTER MÃœLLER

    (Universität Mannheim, Germany)

  • UWE BLIEN

    (Bundesanstalt für Arbeit, Germany)

  • HEIKE WIRTH

    (Zentrum für Umfragen, Methoden und Analysen, Germany)

Abstract

In the social sciences and in other fields where data from individual respondents are collected, it is an important concern that information remains confidential and that the identity of individual data providers is not disclosed. For several realistic scenarios, the present article examines the risks of discovering the identity of data providers even in cases where the microdata have been previously anonymized by some procedure. The results show that, even under peculiarly risky conditions, the identification risk is smaller than has been assumed by previous research. The inherent unreliability of measurement is found to be an implicit protection of anonymity and a natural barrier to identification.

Suggested Citation

  • Walter Mãœller & Uwe Blien & Heike Wirth, 1995. "Identification Risks of Microdata," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 24(2), pages 131-157, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:24:y:1995:i:2:p:131-157
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124195024002001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. B.V. Greenberg & L.V. Zayatz, 1992. "Strategies for measuring risk in public use microdata files," Statistica Neerlandica, Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research, vol. 46(1), pages 33-48, March.
    2. Catherine Marsh & Chris Skinner & Sara Arber & Bruce Penhale & Stan Openshaw & John Hobcraft & Denise Lievesley & Nigel Walford, 1991. "The Case for Samples of Anonymized Records from the 1991 Census," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 154(2), pages 305-340, March.
    3. Duncan, George & Lambert, Diane, 1989. "The Risk of Disclosure for Microdata," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 7(2), pages 207-217, April.
    4. C.J. Skinner, 1992. "On identification disclosure and prediction disclosure for microdata," Statistica Neerlandica, Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research, vol. 46(1), pages 21-32, March.
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    2. Elliot Mark & Mackey Elaine & O’Shea Susan & Tudor Caroline & Spicer Keith, 2016. "End User Licence to Open Government Data? A Simulated Penetration Attack on Two Social Survey Datasets," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 32(2), pages 329-348, June.
    3. Bender, Stefan & Hilzendegen, Jürgen, 1995. "Die IAB-Beschäftigtenstrichprobe als scientific use file," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 28(1), pages 76-95.
    4. Bender, Stefan & Hilzendegen, Jürgen, 1995. "Die IAB-Beschäftigtenstrichprobe als scientific use file," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 28(1), pages 76-95.

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