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Recognizing
the need to increase awareness of confidentiality and related
issues when using spatial data, the NASA Public Health Applications
program sponsored a workshop on July 16, 2003 at the National
Academy of Sciences. The Confidentiality and Geospatial Data Workshop
was organized by SEDAC to bring together leading experts from
government agencies, research universities, and commercial organizations
to discuss issues of confidentiality pertaining to the use of
spatial data.
Morning speakers at the workshop presented agency, researcher,
legal, ethical, and commercial perspectives on the use of spatial
data that either contain or could be matched with confidential
information. The afternoon sessions consisted of two panels. The
Government Agency Panel focused on confidentiality concerns related
to the use of spatial data and how such concerns have been addressed
by different agencies. The members of the Researchers Panel described:
1) the benefits of integrating geospatial data with other data;
2) potential compromises to confidentiality from such practices;
and 3) approaches and plans for preventing breaches to confidentiality.
Workshop participants suggested that steps should be taken to
make key personnel within government and research centers fully
aware of confidentiality issues. In addition, they concluded that
effective practices and procedures must be identified and implemented
to secure the confidentiality of data while maximizing its utilization.
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