Managing Environmental Data Privacy

2010 Jun 22 09:24 NZST

When biodiversity data is freely shared, it can be aggregated to
contribute to a wider, and ultimately global, understanding of
biodiversity. Data can be used for research, management and education,
in ways that are not necessarily anticipated when the data is shared.

Biodiversity data can also be misused, for example to target rare
species for poaching. In other cases, biodiversity data can be
commercially or culturally sensitive, and may have been collected under
an agreement that restricts distribution of the data.

The need to manage privacy of data must be managed carefully whenever
biodata is shared.

What challenges have you faced in relation to data privacy?

What approaches have you used to manage data privacy, and with what success?

I have created a page in the System Guide for resources about managing
biodata privacy.
   http://dataversity.org.nz/guide/practices/privacy/

One resource that could be useful in this area is "Best Practices for
Sharing Sensitive Environmental Geospatial Data".

Prepared for Natural Resources Canada (GeoConnections),
   http://www.geoconnections.org/
the purpose of these Best Practices is:

   "to educate Data Contributors, Owners, Custodians, Stewards
   and Consumers of the issues and concepts associated with
   protecting, sharing and utilizing sensitive geospatial data,
   with a focus on supporting programs, services, businesses
   and / or applications related to the Environment and
   Sustainable Development (E&SD) community. The intention is
   to provide practical guidance to those interested in developing
   their own sensitive environmental geospatial data sharing
   policies and protocols."

Here is the Executive Summary:

http://www.geoconnections.org/publications/Key_documents/Sensitive_Env_Geo_Data_Guide_ExecSummary_EN_v1.htm

and the full text.

http://www.geoconnections.org/publications/Key_documents/Sensitive_Env_Geo_Data_Guide_EN_v1.pdf