individualare

Individualare is a neologistic verb used in discussions of personalization, identity, and data ethics to denote the act of treating or recognizing a person as a unique individual rather than as a representative of a group. In practice, it refers to processes that distinguish individuals based on personal data, preferences, or behavior, rather than applying broad demographic categories.

Etymology: The term appears to combine “individual” with an infinitival suffix common in Romance languages, producing a sense akin to “to individualize.” Its earliest documented uses are informal and scattered across online discourse and some scholarly writings from the 2010s onward; there is no standard spelling or grammatical form, and writers sometimes treat it as an English coinage or a borrowed form.

Usage and contexts: In data science and marketing, individualare is used to critique models that rely on group-level attributes and to advocate for approaches that preserve individuality while protecting privacy, such as personalization with opt-in consent and differential privacy. In sociolinguistics and philosophy of identity, the term is employed to discuss the ethics of recognizing persons as unique agents rather than interchangeable respondents.

Criticism and limitations: Critics warn that an emphasis on individuality can conflict with statistics, policy targeting, or collective rights, and may inadvertently expose sensitive attributes through inference. Proponents argue that individual-level treatment supports autonomy, consent, and fair treatment when implemented with robust privacy safeguards.

See also: Personalization, Individual rights, Identity, Differential privacy, Data minimization.