Sensitive Information

In the context of data protection and anonymisation, sensitive information is defined as information whose knowledge by third parties can have recognisably disadvantageous consequences for the respondents. This includes information on health status, sexual orientation and political attitudes. Even if a person or institution cannot be re-identified through this, the information can be useful to third parties in the event of de-anonymisation (Koberg 2016, p. 694) and is therefore particularly worthy of protection (Art. 9 DSGVO, Recital 51 DSGVO). This may include, for example, information on mental illness or participation in political events, which, if de-anonymised, could have negative professional or private consequences for the person interviewed. Such characteristics are therefore not published.