Measuring Privacy: Critical Reflections and Directions for a Metrology-Based Approach

Eulalia Balestrieri, Ilaria Amelia Caggiano, Francesco Picariello, Ioan Tudosa

Abstract

Privacy measurement in digital systems lacks a standardised metrological framework to ensure reliable and comparable assessments. A metrological approach ensures that privacy measurements are reliable, reproducible, and comparable over time and across different contexts. In this work most common privacy metrics, including k-anonymity, ℓ-diversity, t-closeness, differential privacy, and mutual information, are critically evaluated, identifying their strengths and limitations from a metrological perspective. Initial directions and open challenges toward a metrology-based approach to privacy measurement are outlined, too.

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IMEKO-TC6-2025-019.pdf

DOI

10.21014/tc6-2025.019

IMEKO TC

TC6 - Digitalization

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