Uidentifiserbar

Uidentifiserbar is a Norwegian adjective used to describe something whose identity cannot be determined or linked to a specific person, object, or source given the information and technology available. The form comes from the negating prefix u-, the verb identifisere, and the suffix -bar, meaning capable of or able to be. Thus, uidentifiserbar literally means not able to be identified.

In privacy and data protection contexts, uidentifiserbar data refers to information from which an individual cannot be directly or indirectly identified using reasonable means current at the time. This concept is closely related to the distinction between identifiable data and anonymized data in regulatory frameworks such as the GDPR. Achieving uidentifiserbar data typically involves removing direct identifiers (such as names and ID numbers) and mitigating quasi-identifiers that could enable re-identification when combined with other data sources. It is important to note that identifiability is context dependent and risk-based; data deemed uidentifiserbar can become identifiable if new information becomes available or if additional data sources are accessed.

Outside data protection, the term is used in research ethics, journalism, and security to describe information, samples, or materials whose identity is concealed to protect privacy or safety. The concept is often discussed together with related terms such as anonymisering (anonymization) and pseudonymisering (pseudonymization), which specify different levels of identifiability and privacy protections.