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NSF Funds Data Anonymization Project

Posted by Soulskill on from the maybe-facebook-will-donate dept.

Trailrunner7 writes "A group of researchers from Purdue University has been awarded $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation to help fund an ongoing project that's investigating how well current techniques for anonymizing data are working and whether there's a need for better methods. The grant will help to further research from computer scientists and linguists, who are looking at ways in which people can still be identified through textual clues even after explicitly identifiable data has been removed. The Purdue anonymization project has been ongoing for some time, and also includes researchers from a number of other institutions, including Indiana University and the Kinsey Institute."

10 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Testing Slashdots Methods for Anonymization by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It works!

    Can I pick up my grant check now?

    1. Re:Testing Slashdots Methods for Anonymization by drunkennewfiemidget · · Score: 4, Funny

      We wish you could, but we don't know who to write the cheque out to.

    2. Re:Testing Slashdots Methods for Anonymization by teachknowlegy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Write the check out to Anonymous Coward, duh! When someone produces the ID of the same name, they can have it. Name changes are cheap, aren't they?

    3. Re:Testing Slashdots Methods for Anonymization by zkp · · Score: 3, Funny
      There are many bits of information we can glean!
      1. Your "anonymous" name, #34103516
      2. Date and Time: (Tuesday, November 02 @ 6:04PM)
      3. You were one of the first posts so you probably read Slashdot often. Also, you probably visit Slashdot regularly around 6:00 PM.
      4. Writing Style: Short messages, funny

        So I could search for regular Slashdot users who tend to be active around 6:00 PM, post brief messages, and are often one of the first to comment. Narrow down that list to users who actually did log in on 11/02/2010. Since, we know that you did read this article there is also a decent chance that you commented on this article with your actual user name.

        We will find you!
  2. Hmmm by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I wonder if they could get a larger grant from Google or Facebook or the NSA or [insert large organization name here] to get a guaranteed result of "things are just fine, nothing to see here"?

  3. How Benevolent Of The N.S.F. ( +3, Instrusive ) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "The grant will help to further research from computer scientists and linguists, who are looking at ways in which people can still be identified through textual clues even after explicitly identifiable data has been removed." SHOULD READ

    "The grant will help to further research from computer scientists, linguists, AND the N.S.A. who are looking at ways in which people can still be identified through textual clues even after explicitly identifiable data has been removed."

    Yours In Krasnoyarsk,
    Kilgore T.

  4. NSF by Combatso · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Headline had me thinking the science grants were returned Non Sufficient Funds... thats a sign of a really bad economy.

  5. Interesting Spin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    The research is actually into data mining, not some new forms of encryption/anonymization.

    I'm sure the results will provide insight that may lead to better anonymization, but I bet framing the whole thing around the more popular side of that spectrum makes it sell better.

  6. Re:Did anybody else read.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, but I read NSF Funds, and thought, why is slashdot doing a story on my wife?

  7. Re:Did anybody else read.... by kmoser · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I read it as "NSFW" and thought the same thing: why is Slashdot doing a story on your wife?