What is Metadata?
An introduction
What is metadata?
Metadata is data that provides information about other data but not the content of that data.
Take the example of a mobile phone call or when you use a camera or device to take a photo. When you make a call, the metadata would include:
Mobile phone call
- The time and date of the call
- If it was incoming or outgoing
- The duration of the call
- Whether it was a voice or video call
- It would not include the content of the call
Photo on camera or device
- The time and date the photo was taken
- The location where the photo was taken
- Whether it was a screenshot or a download
- It would not include the content of the photo
Metadata in action
Hover over the circles to the right to see examples of metadata in a car.
Entertainment
How metadata is used or created in music streaming services:
- Metadata typically includes the underlying information tied to a song or album, including titles, songwriter and producer names, the publisher(s), the record label etc.
- Example uses of metadata by streaming services or third parties include recommending new tracks/playlists, developing new services and providing insights to promoters and venues.
Transport
How metadata is used or created in transport:
- Metadata typically refers to the time, date, journey duration and speed of the vehicle as well as sensor data concerning the status/condition of critical parts, number of passengers etc.
- Example uses of metadata by the car industry or third parties include predicting when parts replacement is required, product development insights, and insights into driving habits for insurance premiums.
Future uses
- If we use metadata wisely, it can help solve big issues like climate change, prevention, detection and treatment of diseases, reduction of poverty and better quality of life and wellbeing.
- However, organisations and governments need to increasingly use metadata collaboratively across all sectors and technologies, as well as individuals willing to share their metadata altruistically.
Communications
How metadata is used or created in mobile network services
- Metadata typically refers to the numbers called/received, date/time, duration and cell site location.
- Example uses of metadata by MNO or third parties include offering users more appropriate tariffs and data plans, identifying signal failures, optimising network performance and/or reducing carbon footprints.
Learn more
Metadata in context
Privacy and metadata – safeguards
Metadata regulation
Metadata in context
Privacy and metadata – safeguards
Metadata regulation
Metadata in context
Depending on the context or medium used, communications ‘metadata’ can mean different things and be used for different purposes. For example:
- In the context of telecommunications, four main types of metadata include: call and SMS metadata; email metadata; user activity or behaviour metadata, and location or network metadata.
- MNOs typically use metadata for internal purposes as part of normal business operations such as billing customers, optimising network use and future network planning. This is now evolving into finding new ways to repurpose metadata.
- Internet companies and app developers also generate and use metadata. For example, internet browsing metadata could include websites visited, date/time, computer device hardware details, operating system, and browser version. Messaging app services could include the user activity, time and date of the call, location, quality and performance logs etc.
- Law enforcement agencies also use communications metadata. Through the appropriate legal processes, they obtain call metadata and location metadata from telecoms and/or internet companies and use this together with other evidence to aid their investigations and prosecute criminals.
- Third parties, such as analytics companies, NGOs or academic researchers, who don’t generate metadata themselves can use metadata provided to them by others to generate services and/or insights.
- Metadata can be aggregated and combined with other data into big data sets for public policy objectives. For example, de-identified and aggregated location metadata can be enriched with third-party data sources, such as weather or traffic data, to predict pollution levels in a city.
Privacy and metadata – safeguards
Metadata can tell us much about our likely habits, lifestyles, risk profiles, socio-economic category, ethnicity or even religious beliefs. Using it can be highly beneficial to individuals and society. Still, safeguards must be put in place to avoid unwanted interference with the private lives and human rights of specific individuals or groups.
- Such safeguards include transparency, privacy and ethical impact assessments and a ‘privacy-by-design’ approach to identify and avoid/mitigate risks throughout the entire lifecycle of data use, checks to know who is accessing the data for what purpose and the use of pseudonymised data and aggregation techniques to avoid the risk of re-identification.
- Some metadata used in big data analytics is not personal data but may become personal if it is associated with a particular individual. For example, if a traffic management system detects a connected car’s location is subsequently combined with data on the vehicle registration number and/or the vehicle ownership records. For this reason, all entities must consider privacy-safeguarding measures when performing data analytics.
Metadata regulation
- Digital economies need a regulatory landscape fit for the digital age – one that recognises the need to leverage metadata but protects individuals from new forms of harm arising from digital technology.
- Policies around metadata usage should apply consistently across all sectors and technologies, be risk-based and encourage responsible data governance practices through the concept of accountability.
- Any regulations should only go beyond general data protection laws if necessary; for example, general data protection laws typically do not address confidentiality of communications but do already require a lawful basis for processing personal data – including metadata.
- Policies should facilitate data flow between companies, sectors and countries while protecting consumers and respecting commercial sensitivities to ensure continued investment in innovative technologies and data use that benefit society.
- A review of legacy sectoral requirements, such as telecoms licence conditions, will ensure consistency of regulation across the board.
Metadata use-cases
New technologies and market innovation have enabled the use of metadata in innumerable ways in both the private and public sectors.
Mobile network
Operators use metadata to identify network problems and to efficiently manage network traffic.
Urban planning
City planners and others can analyse metadata such as location information and traffic data to make informed urban planning and investment decisions.