Eiidenttisille

Eiidenttisille is a neologism used in Finnish privacy discourse to describe practices and data statuses where personal identifiers cannot be linked to a specific individual. The term combines ei (not) with identtinen (identical) and the allative suffix -sille, functioning as a concept rather than a concrete legal category.

In theoretical discussions, eiidenttisille denotes datasets or information flows that meet a criterion of non-identifiability, often through anonymization, aggregation, or statistical disclosure controls. The aim is to ensure that data cannot be used to identify a person directly or through linkage with other data sources.

Common methods implicated include data minimization, removal of direct identifiers, and techniques such as differential privacy, k-anonymity, l-diversity, and data perturbation. Proper governance, risk assessment, and ongoing auditing are emphasized.

Use cases include public health statistics, transportation analytics, and research datasets where individual privacy is prioritized. The term is not an official legal category in Finnish privacy law and is used mainly in academic or media commentary to describe desirable privacy outcomes rather than a formal standard.

Critics note that achieving true non-identifiability is difficult and context-dependent; advances in data linking and external datasets can undermine assumptions, requiring robust risk management and transparency.

See also: anonymization, data protection, privacy by design, differential privacy.