Reidentification Risk

Re-identification risk refers to the possibility of identifying individuals in a dataset, even if their personal information has been removed or anonymized. When data is shared, it often contains unique characteristics that can be matched with other available information, allowing someone to deduce the identity of individuals. This risk is significant in the context of privacy and data protection, as it means that even supposedly anonymous data can potentially lead to breaches of confidentiality, exposing sensitive information about people. Thus, safeguarding against re-identification is crucial in handling personal data responsibly.