Privacy-Preserving Data Standards for Fleet Data Sharing

Headline Findings

Standardized data-sharing protocols exist (MDS, SharedStreets) and have been piloted in multiple jurisdictions. These standards enable privacy-preserving data aggregation: fleets share operational metrics (dwell time, occupancy, demand) without exposing trip-level geolocation or passenger information. GDPR and emerging AV data guidance establish minimum baselines: anonymization at ingestion, data minimization, and pseudonymization for ongoing analysis.

Key Standards & Frameworks

Mobility Data Specification (MDS) — MDS 2.0 Standard

• Scope: Standardizes data-sharing between cities and mobility operators
• Portland TriMet & ODOT adoption: Portland is one of 13+ jurisdictions committed to MDS 2.0 implementation
• Privacy protections:
  • MDS does NOT contain personal information (PII) about riders/passengers
  • Data is operator-level (not trip-level): aggregated demand, supply, route patterns
  • Operators can select which endpoints/fields to share (modularity)

SharedStreets — Privacy-Preserving Aggregation Toolkit

• Core mechanism: Spatial aggregation using H3 hexagonal binning; temporal aggregation with minimum trip thresholds
• Privacy protections:
  • Minimum trip threshold prevents re-identification
  • H3 spatial aggregation obscures precise origin/destination
  • No long-term storage of granular data; only aggregated metrics retained

MDS Under GDPR & EU AV Data Guidance

• GDPR baseline: Autonomous vehicles collecting data in public spaces must comply with data protection by design
• EU Best Practice:
  • Anonymization at point of collection
  • Pseudonymization for ongoing processing
  • Explicit transparency

Source Data

MDS Documentation

• Open Mobility Foundation – About MDS: Core specification overview
• MDS Privacy Guide: Privacy principles
• Portland MDS Repository: Live implementation
• Shared Mobility Data Primer: ODOT guidance

SharedStreets Documentation

• SharedStreets Platform: Platform overview and toolkit
• SharedStreets Mobility Metrics: H3 aggregation and privacy model

GDPR & AV Data Privacy

• GDPR Compliance for Autonomous Vehicles: GDPR obligations and anonymization
• Data Privacy in Autonomous Vehicles: Technical solutions