How Researchers De-Identify Data in Practice

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Presented at USENIX Security 2025 by

Human-subjects researchers are increasingly expected to de-identify and publish data about research participants. However, de-identification is difficult, lacking objective solutions for how to balance privacy and utility, and requiring significant time and expertise. To understand researchers' approaches, we interviewed 18 practitioners who have de-identified data for publication and 6 curators who review data submissions for repositories and funding organizations. We find that researchers account for the kinds of risks described by