Recently, Im et al. presented a method that can infer an individual's participation in a study when regression coefficients from quantitative phenotypes are available. They demonstrated that in an era of increasing use of high-throughput technologies to integrate multiple-omics data sets, the "problem of identifiability" necessitates the creation of robust methods (e.g., an annual certification process) that facilitate broad dissemination of study results without compromising a participant's privacy. In this letter, we would like to qualify the conclusions of Im et al., and several other commentators,2"5 by illustrating that (1) despite the perceived ease of reidenti&cation, anonymity (and genomic privacy in general, which subsumes anonymity and identifiability as critical elements of informational control) remains a valid and vital concept and (2) technologies and models currently exist that facilitate dissemination of useful health data without compromising privacy.
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