Personal Privacy and the Web of Linked Data

This paper reports the results of a study investigating the user privacy challenges when personal data is published within linked data environments. Motivated by GetThere, a passenger information system that crowdsources transport information from users (including personal data, such as their location), four scenarios are outlined that illustrate how linked data environments can impact upon user privacy. The responsibilities of key stakeholders, including researchers, ethics committees, and the linked data community are also discussed, along with a set of guidelines designed to raise awareness of these risks and how to reduce them.