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IAPP CIPT: What Happens During Data Distortion in Privacy Protection?

Learn what data distortion entails in the context of privacy protection and the IAPP CIPT certification exam. Discover how personal data is modified to preserve individual anonymity.

Table of Contents

Question

What occurs during data distortion?

A. False and inaccurate information about an individual is shared
B. Data collected about an individual includes prejudicial assumptions
C. The personal data about an individual is modified to preserve their anonymity
D. Truthful information that negatively affects how others view an individual is revealed

Answer

The key aspect is that the data is truthful to begin with, and is altered specifically to protect privacy – not to mislead or make assumptions. Thus, the correct answer is:

C. The personal data about an individual is modified to preserve their anonymity

Explanation

Data distortion is a technique used in privacy protection where truthful personal data about an individual is modified in order to preserve their anonymity. The goal is to change the data in such a way that it can no longer be linked back to the specific person, while still maintaining the overall patterns, statistics, and utility of the dataset as a whole.

For example, data distortion might involve slightly altering values like age, income, location, etc. for each person in a database. The general trends and insights that can be gleaned from analyzing the data will remain valid, but it will be very difficult to determine which records correspond to which real-world individuals.

Data distortion does NOT involve:

  • Sharing false or inaccurate information about someone
  • Including prejudicial assumptions in collected data
  • Revealing truthful information that negatively affects someone’s reputation

IAPP CIPT certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the IAPP CIPT exam and earn IAPP CIPT certification.