An Exploration of Anonymization Methods for Official Microdata

Abstract

When creating and releasing official microdata, both technical and legal methods are applied to protect the confidentiality of personal information contained in the data. Specifically, the creation and release of microdata requires a legal definition of personal information, the statutory interpretation of the relevant legal framework, advanced statistical systems and an ongoing optimization of statistical methods used in the creation of microdata. This paper identifies the methodological parameters for the creation and release of official microdata from the standpoint of statistical institutions and data users, and suggests suitable anonymization methods for official microdata in Japan.