Purpose of the Report

Data is vital to the functioning of government, helping agencies make informed decisions, improve public services, and drive policy innovation. However, data sharing comes with significant privacy risks, including unauthorized access, data breaches, re-identification of individuals from data associated with them, and potential misuse of sensitive information.

Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) offer solutions to address many of these risks by enabling secure and privacy-preserving data use. These technologies allow organizations—whether they are government agencies, private corporations, or nonprofit service providers—to share and analyze data while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and maintaining public trust. However, PET adoption presents challenges, including technical complexity and resource constraints.

While PETs have a broad range of utility, this report specifically outlines the role of PETs in government operations. It provides an overview of available PET options and serves as a practical guide for data professionals in local, state, and federal government to determine the most suitable PETs for their specific needs. As PETs continue to evolve, governments must invest in capacity-building and policy frameworks to maximize their benefits for public sector innovation and responsible data use.

This report aims to:

• Explain the significance of PETs in protecting sensitive data while enabling responsible data sharing;
• Provide an accessible introduction to different types of PETs and their potential applications; and
• Offer practical guidance to help government data professionals, policymakers, and privacy engineers select PETs based on specific data-sharing requirements.