Briefs

Computer scientist Latanya Sweeney helps to save confidentiality with "anonymizing" programs, "deidentifiers" and other clever algorithms. Whether they are enough, however, is another question

Scientific American, July 2007. By Chip Walter

... at the heart of her work lies a nagging question: Is it possible to maintain privacy, freedom and safety in today�s security-centric, databased world where identities sit ripe for the plucking?

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For example, Sweeney�s Identity Angel program scours the Internet and quickly gathers thousands of identities by linking names in one database with addresses, ages and Social Security numbers scattered throughout others. Those four pieces of information are all anyone needs to snatch an identity and open a credit-card account. The lab routinely alerts vulnerable people so they can fix the problem.

Another program �anonymizes� identities. It was originally developed for the Department of Defense after the 9/11 attacks to help locate potential terrorists while still protecting the privacy of innocent citizens. The program prevents surveillance cameras from revealing an identity until authorities show they need the images to prosecute a crime. Unlike other software, the program does not pixelate or black out an individual�s features but actually fabricates a new facial image from other faces in the database, making it impossible for humans or machines to identify.

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