Introduction: Issues of privacy protection and analysis of public health data

GIS has witnessed tremendous development in the last decade or so. As the reach of GIS technologies and applications expanded, its effect is also increasingly felt by a variety of individuals and social groups far beyond the realm of the research community. Critics of GIS have identified various social consequences associated with the use and development of GIS, while GIS scientists and researchers have responded to these criticisms through new initiatives that address various social problems arising from the use of GIS data, algorithms, software, and hardware. The purpose of this theme issue is to show that certain types of social problems associated with the use of GIS may be addressed in the technical realm. Its four main articles focus mainly on issues of privacy protection and analysis of public health data. The commentary article highlights the critical issues that emerge from the main articles. With a focus on privacy protection and methods for analysing health data, these articles provide good examples of how the social implications of GIS may be addressed in the technical realm.