On 07/09/2021 14:39, Brett G4FLQ via wsjt-devel wrote:
Attitudes to data protection differ across the pond and maybe across
other stretches of water too. Also between scientists and citizens.
However there is unanimity that the subject has all the appeal of an
expected tax demand!
The good news is that a new dawn for understanding WSPR beckons
through new, easy to use data analysis and machine learning tools that
are now available.
However I wish to draw attention that some amateurs may be unaware of
the possibilities of data analysis (both good and bad) of the WSPR
archive, either at the present time, or in the future when historical
data is retrospectively analysed.
----
Amateurs have long known that inferences about their personal lives
could be made through the short and long term monitoring of their
amateur radio activities via their callsign. Depending on their
licensing administration, they may have been able to retain some
callsign privacy.
It is never good to spring surprises, as RSGB discovered in 1995 when
they published in their Call Book indices of surnames and postcodes
for amateurs whose callsigns were already released for publication.
Until recently only the SQL cognoscenti could data mine the WSPR
archive for inferences, so this topic was a minor concern. This is no
longer the case.
The directly deducible inferences appear to be comparable to what an
amateur might normally Impart themselves as part of a normal QSO. It
is certainly much less than is achievable with website tracking
cookies that are so commonplace now. But it is still early days, and
linkage to external databases could yield more inferences.
Nevertheless even today, amateurs who are used to viewing just
WSPRnet.org might not have realised what others using different tools
can deduce about their equipment, antennas and environs given time and
effort.
It is hard to disagree with the broad principles of data protection -
the underlying principles of transparency and clarity of purpose are
to be commended as "best practice", even if the compliancy process has
all the attractions of a cold shower! The difficulties come with the
many administrative and bureaucratic devils that inhabit the ever
tightening details of regulation and their unintended consequences.
This is not just a UK or European issue as data protection concepts
are now starting to spread to other parts of the world too. However
the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) seems to set
the bar in terms of scope and population coverage at the present time.
Please correct me, but I am not aware of any guidance in the User
Guide or in WSJT-X about data protection or WSPR data use in general.
Is this an omission?
There might be some aspects of WSPR which some may feel encroaches on
the scope of the GDPR (especially if they are not run by individuals)
but I'm not qualified to offer an opinion.
Stepping aside from the ticklish legal detail that GDPR compliance
might potentially involve, there are certainly some aspects of data
transparency which could benefit from better guidance eg who holds the
data and under which jurisdiction. Similarly there appears to be no
guidance as to how the data may be used - either to forewarn existing
users or to ward off ill-wishers.
Adopting a purely pragmatic view, things ultimately depend on the
security of an individual's callsign and the choices the user makes to
transmit and/or to upload their spots, and what they have disclosed
elsewhere. Maybe the user should be made better aware so that they can
make more informed choices, especially if they are under 18?
Brett Rider, G4FLQ
Brett,
isn't this all moot given that the defaults are not to upload spots
unless the user chooses to check the relevant option.
73
Bill
G4WJS.
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