Geolocation Data Anonymization for Privacy-Compliant Content Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing adoption of data privacy laws, such as GDPR and CCPA, necessitates the anonymization of geographical location data to prevent the misuse of personal information while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for anonymizing data records by replacing precise geographical locations with generalized geographical identifiers and associating them with anonymized metrics, using network node devices to process and generate content that represents anonymized data records.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If precise geographical locations are retained in data records, then data utility for content generation is improved, but data privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments geographical location data into different levels of precision. It separates the precise location (which poses privacy risks) from the generalized location (which maintains utility). The system divides the data into identifiable components (precise location) and unidentifiable components (generalized location), allowing selective use of each for different purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the precise geographical location component from the data record and replaces it with a generalized geographical identifier. This extraction removes the harmful element (precise location that enables re-identification) while retaining the useful element (generalized location that maintains analytical value).
2Object-affected harmful factors
If precise geographical locations are anonymized, then data privacy protection is improved, but data utility for content generation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different levels of anonymization to different components of the data record. The geographical location is generalized to a broader region, while other attributes related to that location are retained and potentially enhanced through synthesis. This local quality approach ensures privacy protection where needed while preserving utility where possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite data structure that combines generalized geographical identifiers with synthesized attributes. This composite approach merges anonymized location data with derived information (such as regional characteristics) to create a new data form that maintains both privacy protection and analytical utility.
3Reliability
If data is anonymized to comply with privacy laws, then regulatory compliance is improved, but ability to use data for content generation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a generalized geographical identifier as an intermediary between the original precise location and the content generation process. This intermediary serves as a mediator that satisfies regulatory requirements (by removing precise identifiers) while still enabling content generation (by providing sufficient location context for synthesis).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of geographical precision from high (specific address) to low (broad region). This parameter transformation allows the data to meet regulatory thresholds for anonymization while maintaining sufficient information for generating useful content about the general area.
Data Source
AI summary
In one exemplary embodiment, a method is performed by a first network node configured to maintain a plurality of data records with each data record being specific to a certain geographical location and having personally identifiable information (PII) including that geographical location and an attribute related to that geographical location. The method includes sending, to a second network node operable to generate content that can rendered for display, an indication that includes an anonymized data record that represents a corresponding data record of the plurality of data records that is specific to a first geographical location with the PII of the corresponding data record being represented by anonymized information in the anonymized data record so that the second network node is enabled to generate content that represents the anonymized data record.