What is Metadata Privacy and Why is it Important?

Introduction

The internet, a vast world, can at times pose threats to its users. While many are well acquainted with the risks of sharing personal data online, there’s an unsung player in this digital arena: “metadata.” This often-overlooked element can pose a similar threat to online safety, and it remains elusive to many.

Think of metadata as the breadcrumbs of your digital life; it can reveal more than you might intend, and sometimes it falls into the wrong hands. Whether you’re sharing photos on social media or engaging in any online activity, it’s crucial to understand the nature of the metadata you inadvertently disclose. Safeguarding your digital privacy is akin to locking your front door in today’s digital landscape, where our data holds substantial value.

The goal of this article is to make the concept of metadata clearer, debunk any confusion around it, and make you understand why you should genuinely care about the trail of metadata you unknowingly leave behind as you navigate this expansive space.

Understanding Data Vs Metadata

Source: EDUCBA

If we were to rewind three decades, during the era of the gold mine rush, the commodity most highly valued at that time was gold. It was considered a precious and sought-after resource during those years, much like data is today. Data holds immense value in this decade, with every facet of the economy dependent on data for a variety of purposes, such as:

• Companies and individuals rely on data-driven insights to make informed decisions based on evidence rather than intuition or guesswork.
• Analyzing data helps researchers discover patterns, trends, and correlations that lead to breakthroughs. Data analysis helps organizations predict future trends and behaviors, enabling them to plan and strategize effectively.
• Data is why technology has advanced, as it is the lifeblood of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. These technologies thrive on large and diverse datasets to improve their accuracy and capabilities.

I could continue endlessly about how important data is and the need to protect it from getting into the wrong hands. Thankfully, there are regulatory bodies that regulate the collection, use, and sharing of personal information with third parties without the notice or consent of consumers. 137 out of 194 countries have put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.

Metadata, on the other hand, often flies under the radar. There aren’t as many rules and safeguards to protect it. So, while your data is locked up safely, metadata is often out there, waiting to be discovered by anyone who knows where to look. It’s like having a hidden treasure chest that no one’s watching over.

What is Metadata?

Source: Coinmonk

Imagine standing alone on a dark stage, surrounded by an unseen crowd watching your every move. Even though you can’t see them, they can see all the details of how you move, what you’re wearing, and even your facial expressions. This is similar to what happens with your metadata on the blockchain.

While the stage analogy might sound dramatic, the reality is fundamental: every bit of information, however inconsequential it may seem, can be carefully examined, and a pattern can be formed about you. This comparison shows how urgent it is to protect your metadata on the blockchain, being that it is a decentralized public ledger. If this scenario doesn’t show you how crucial it is to keep your metadata safe, it’s hard to think of what else could.

Source: Hevo data

Metadata is additional information not contained in the data and can include specific information about the sender or transaction, such as timestamp, location, notes, etc. In numerous aspects, metadata holds an equal level of importance to the core data. This is due to the tendency for senders to focus more on the data they’re sending, with little or no care about the metadata generated alongside it.

This disposition plays right into the hands of fraudsters, who have a knack for targeting those blind spots—areas that often get less attention. Given this scenario, it’s clear that the conversation around metadata privacy is crucial, especially in the context of our interconnected global community today.

History of Metadata

Source: Wikipedia

Throughout its history, metadata has evolved from simple annotations to a sophisticated system of organizing, describing, and contextualizing information. Having evolved in the digital age, to become an integral part of data management, data discovery, retrieval, and interpretation across various domains.

Metadata has quite a history spanning various areas, from libraries and archives to the advanced technologies we use today. Back in the olden days, libraries were the keepers of metadata. They used notes, writings, and organized systems to tell people what was inside scrolls and books. As time moved forward and the printing of books became a big deal in the 19th century, libraries realized they needed to step up their game. They started using more standard ways of organizing and keeping track of information. This was when the Dewey Decimal Classification system, thought up by Melvil Dewey, came into play as a great way to categorize library materials.

In the 20th century, libraries kept improving their cataloging tricks. Then came the 1960s, and with it the MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) format. This made it possible to use computers to keep track of cataloging and introduced the term “metadata.” This term was invented to talk about data that explains other data.

As we started getting more digital in the 1980s and 1990s, metadata’s importance shot up. People began to see that it was key to organizing digital information. When websites started to become a thing, they used a language called HTML, which allowed them to put metadata like “title,” “author,” and “description” at the top of web pages.

Jumping ahead to more recent times, specifically the late 21st century, we saw an explosion of digital content and the internet. This meant we needed rules about how to describe things consistently. Dublin Core came in the mid-1990s to help with that, offering a basic set of metadata elements. Then came XML, a structured way to create metadata for different types of data. And let’s not forget about social media—all those platforms where we share content. They showed us how important metadata is for finding and organizing user-generated content.

As we dive into big data and the Internet of Things (IoT), metadata’s role in managing and understanding massive amounts of information becomes even more vital.

With the advancement of Blockchain technology, metadata plays a big part in making things transparent and accountable. Think of it as the extra information that goes along with blockchain transactions. But, because privacy is important too, people are talking about using metadata in a way that’s both open and respectful of sensitive information.

Metadata on the Blockchain

Source: Tech Target

Blockchain’s immutability and decentralization make it a valuable tool in many aspects of the world, like research, transactions, etc.

Research

One of the biggest problems scientists face in conducting scientific research is disappearing data. There are several reasons why scientific data goes missing:

• Inadequate Data Archiving: Scientists often fail to properly archive their data, leading to loss or confusion.
• Abandoned Studies: Studies can be abandoned for various reasons, leaving potentially valuable data unused.

These issues collectively result in incomplete, biased, and sometimes redundant scientific findings, undermining the integrity and progress of research.

Blockchain technology, with its core attributes of decentralization, immutability, and transparency, offers solutions to these problems. By placing metadata on the blockchain, researchers can ensure that critical details surrounding data, such as collection time, software used, storage location, and more, are securely recorded. Blockchain’s immutability feature prevents the disappearance of data, and the metadata can’t be altered, making it an accurate historical record.

However great this development is, there are some privacy concerns it raises for example:

• Data Linkability: The metadata recorded on the blockchain might contain information that, when combined with other data sources, could potentially reveal more about individuals or their research activities than intended.
• Pseudonymity: There’s a possibility that someone with access to the metadata could correlate it with other information to deduce certain aspects about the researchers or subjects.
• Sensitive Information: Depending on the nature of the research, certain metadata elements could inadvertently contain sensitive information that should be protected. For instance, metadata about research participants’ characteristics or locations might unintentionally lead to identification, as in the case of the Strava fitness app.

Transaction

Metadata enriches the information and context associated with blockchain transactions. It accomplishes this in various ways, including contextual enrichment: blockchain transactions, on their own, record the basic details of a value transfer (e.g., sender, recipient, amount). This, however, may not provide a complete understanding of the transaction’s aim. Metadata can comprise information such as descriptions of items exchanged, transaction notes, timestamps, geolocation, or any other relevant data that defines the transaction’s context.

Even though the actual transaction details might be private and encrypted, the metadata associated with these transactions can still be accessible. Metadata can also connect transactions to real-world identities or digital representations. This is critical for regulatory compliance, ensuring transparency while safeguarding sensitive personal information.

The apparent downside is that metadata can link multiple cryptocurrency addresses or wallets, even if these addresses have never directly interacted on the blockchain. The service providers that facilitate crypto transactions can gather and analyze metadata, leading to the potential identification of an individual’s various crypto accounts and activities, and that can be a security hazard.

NFT Auctions and Your Privacy

Imagine you’re bidding on an NFT in an online auction. You’re excited, but here’s the thing: When you place that bid, more than just your bid amount is revealed. Your IP address (like your digital location), your wallet address, the specific NFT you’re bidding on, and how much you’re bidding—all this information becomes visible.

It’s like walking into a shop and announcing to everyone exactly what you’re buying, how much you’re paying, and where you live. Your excitement to get that NFT suddenly exposes way more than you intended.

DEXs (like uniswap)

When you make a swap, there’s a bunch of data-sharing happening in the background. Uniswap needs to know how much crypto you have, which crypto you want to swap, prices, and even slippage (basically how much the price can change before your swap is done).

All this sharing is like leaving a trail of digital footprints, and if there’s one thing about the internet that has been established over time, it’s that digital footprints can be enough data for someone to study you.

Connecting the dots

Imagine someone following those footprints, learning about your crypto habits, what you own, which NFTs you’re interested in, and even how you respond to price changes. They won’t know your favorite color, but they might predict your next move. It’s a bit like someone watching you shop and figuring out your preferences—not exactly a comfy feeling, right?

In the cryptocurrency space, your private details are valuable. That’s why blockchain was born: for privacy and to give you control over your financial life. Hackers and others might get curious about your digital life. And once they piece together enough information, they could start predicting your actions, maybe even showing you ads or stuff you’re not too keen on.

So, while we often talk about coins and trades, it’s the not-so-obvious stuff—the metadata — that can tell a lot about you. It’s like walking around with a sign saying, “Here’s everything I’m doing, looking at, and spending on. But really, you deserve more privacy than that.

How to Ensure Metadata Privacy

We can’t simply erase metadata from existence; it’s clear that metadata plays a vital role in various aspects of our digital lives. However, what we do have the power to influence is the level of control we exert over safeguarding metadata privacy. By ensuring that stringent measures are in place, we can effectively shield sensitive information from prying eyes and prevent any potential harm caused by bad actors.

The safety of our metadata is a combination of technical measures, user education, and policy changes that can help mitigate the risks posed by metadata breaches. By implementing these solutions, individuals can safeguard their privacy and ensure their data remains secure and confidential.

The following are methods and strategies that can help ensure metadata privacy. It is important to note that the effectiveness of these solutions may vary depending on the specific context and nature of the breaches being addressed.

• Educating Users: This is the motive behind creating this article; there is an enormous need for awareness among users about the risks of metadata breaches. Every user is responsible for the data trail they leave of themselves online, which is why caution should be applied when it comes to the information shared.
• Anonymization: Researchers can anonymize data before sharing it, removing personally identifiable information and sensitive details. This way, the risk of re-identification through metadata analysis will be reduced.
• Metadata Encryption: Encrypting metadata associated with research data is another technique that can be used. This adds an extra layer of protection, ensuring that even if metadata is accessed, it remains unintelligible without decryption keys.
• Privacy Coins: Use privacy-focused cryptocurrencies that employ advanced cryptographic techniques to obfuscate transaction details, making it challenging to link addresses and activities. Privacy coins employ cryptographic techniques to enhance the anonymity of transactions. Some support smart contracts and DeFi applications too. Zcash, for instance, employs zk-SNARKs to shield transaction amounts and addresses.
• Mixing Services: Mixing services or tumblers that jumble transactions from multiple users, can make it difficult to trace individual transactions and associated metadata. These services enable users to pool funds together and withdraw them in an anonymous and randomized manner. This breaks the link between input and output addresses, concealing the origin and destination of funds. Tornado Cash, for instance, uses zero-knowledge proofs for non-custodial mixing.
• Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Zero-knowledge proofs allow the verification of transactions without revealing transaction details, ensuring privacy while maintaining transaction validity.
• Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs): DIDs are a new standard for creating and managing digital identities that are self-sovereign and verifiable. DIDs enable selective disclosure and zero-knowledge proofs, allowing users to prove attributes about themselves without revealing their full identity or metadata.
• Metadata shredding: which involves intentionally adding irrelevant or misleading metadata to obscure the actual content, could also be a strategy to protect sensitive information. By deliberately adding noise to the metadata, individuals may make it harder for third parties to interpret their actions and behaviors accurately. The idea behind metadata shredding on the blockchain is intriguing. It leverages precomputation to allow fast messaging while maintaining ultra-high security. Through this method, messages and payments can be processed without ever being linked or decrypted. This solution ensures that even if certain nodes are compromised, the overall security of the communication remains intact. While this may seem complex, the applications built on metadata shredding can provide a seamless and fast experience comparable to the messaging and payment apps we are already familiar with. However, it’s worth noting that not all companies offer metadata shredding. This is often due to economic considerations and regulatory challenges, as it disrupts the prevailing business models centered around monetizing user data.

Conclusion

We’ve discussed extensively why metadata privacy is important; by adopting the best practices and leveraging available tools, we can reclaim control over our digital footprints. As the digital world evolves, prioritizing metadata privacy will ensure a safer online experience for everyone. Remember, it’s not just about shielding our online moves; it’s about securing our individuality and preserving our autonomy in an ever-expanding digital universe. Today, be encouraged to protect your digital story, one encrypted pixel at a time.