Pseudonymization

Anonymity and pseudonyms are measures of data protection.

The anonymity is the modification of personal data so that the data can no longer be assigned to a person. In the pseudonyms of the name or other identifier by a pseudonym (usually a multi-digit letter or number combination, also called code ) will be replaced in order to prevent the identification of the data subject or significantly more difficult.

Contrary to remain anonymous covers of various records that were pseudonyms in the same way obtained in the use of pseudonyms.

The use of pseudonyms allows so - with the help of a key - the mapping of data to a person, which is not or hardly possible without this key, since data and identifiers are separated. Is crucial, therefore, that a merging of person and data is still possible. But not significantly more difficult, on the other hand, the ID, when used as an indication only initials and date of birth.

The clearer the data collection (eg, income, medical history, location, size), the greater is the theoretical possibility to assign them without code of a particular person and to be able to identify them. In order to maintain anonymity, these data should, if necessary, separately or falsified in order to make identification more difficult.

Examples

Examples of pseudonyms

• As e- mail address and nickname, a pseudonym used on the Internet. The communication partners do not know the real identity. Is this known to the service provider, they will be posted on respective request (for example, in a civil action, criminal investigations ).
• Want a professor in a university, the results of a (written ) examination make the students easily accessible, so he asks this question during the test to record a self-selected pseudonym on the leaves. After the correction, the professor may publish a notice (possibly also on the Internet), in which the results after scheme are listed. Thus, the assignment of the pseudonym for each student is to be made only by the professor or in individual cases by the students.

Examples anonymization

• If you delete the personal data to assign a customer number or without them there is not a key, so orders are not a specific person. Customers were anonymous.
• Would the answer sheets are destroyed with the noted by the students pseudonyms in retrospect in the above "Professor " example, the information on the staff notice board for the public would be anonymous because no allocations to the respective students would be more possible. Each student will, however, be able to recognize its entry on the score posting, since he has his pseudonym ( hopefully) noticed.
• A secret ballot in elections based on the principle of anonymization (see secret ballot ). While it is still possible to trace who has chosen, but a mapping between ballots and voters is no longer possible.

Reputation of the internet user

Pseudonyms are on the internet to be admissible and their use is even in the Telemedia Act § 13 anchored. The prerequisite is that the " service providers have no knowledge of the illegal activity or information and are aware in the case of claims for damages, no facts or circumstances from which the illegal activity or information is apparent, or they are acting promptly to. removing information or to disable access to it, once they attain this knowledge " But the actual use of pseudonyms triggers reactions in the society out:

Anonymous: The reputation of a person seems to diminish when they act anonymously. Because " to want to hide something ," the desire, says for many people that "you have something to hide ." Also by law the state tries to intervene, because complete anonymity hinders the prosecution. Especially in the discussion ( Interior Minister Friedrich vs Justice Minister Leutheusser -Schnarrenberger ) the retention is clear that the authorities need access to data in order to search against modern cybercriminals can.

Pseudonym: Since the rule of law have access to the connection data of real persons is possible with the use of pseudonyms, minimizes might suspect, however, anonymous, the fact that some people who use pseudonyms think remains, " " to want to hide something. " to be ", and act accordingly. Therefore, some people complain about the associated with the decline of the pseudonym "Behave culture" on the Internet or create rules for proper behavior in the network.

As can be seen from the examples above, there are in the anonymized or Pseudonymisierdiensten called a point in their used systems that are open: System administrators have access to the data and activities of Internet users. Since internal abuse besides hackers represents a serious threat from the Internet, the service providers are trying to secure.

Possible protective measures by service providers

Provider of services that the privacy ( also: Internet, Online or Web Privacy) have prescribed, want to ensure that Internet users trust them. Here, the important question is who has access to the data. The following mechanisms play a role in protection: