A quadtree approach based on European geographic grids: reconciling data privacy and accuracy

Abstract

Methods to preserve confidentiality when publishing geographic information conflict with the need to publish accurate data. The goal of this paper is to create a European geographic grid frame- work to disseminate statistical data over maps. We propose a methodology based on quadtree hierarchical geographic data structures. We create a varying size grid adapted to local area densities. High populated zones are disaggregated in small squares to allow dissemination of accurate data. Alternatively, information on low populated zones is published in big squares to avoid identification of individual data. The methodology has been applied to the 2014 population register data in Catalonia