Protecting Personal Privacy in Using Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

Personal privacy is a social issue of increasing relevance to the geographic information system (GIS) community. The power of GIS processing and the crossmatching of geographic datasets with other datasets are raising strong privacy concerns. This article discusses current practices and trends in the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of personal information by government and industry through the use of GIS and related technologies. It reviews the development of legal rights in privacy, discusses the societal importance of personal privacy, argues that self regulation of the use of personal information is a necessary goal for the GIS community, and describes privacy protection guidelines currently being proposed by various parties for adoption by the commercial sector and government. Finally, the article recommends specific privacy protection principles for adoption and self-imposition throughout the GIS community. 1.