2025/12/17 by Veskoukis, Alexios, Kalles, Dimitris
Computer Science · Social Sciences · #Ethics and Social Impacts of AI #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Machine Learning (cs.LG) #Privacy, Security, and Data Protection #Privacy-Preserving Technologies in Data
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.15955
openalex publication_date 2025/12/17 · openalex created_date 2025/12/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Decision-tree methods are widely used on structured tabular data and are valued for interpretability across many sectors. However, published studies often list the predictors they use (for example age, diagnosis codes, location). Privacy laws increasingly regulate such data types. We use published decision-tree papers as a proxy for real-world use of legally governed data. We compile a corpus of decision-tree studies and assign each reported predictor to a regulated data category (for example health data, biometric identifiers, children's data, financial attributes, location traces, and government IDs). We then link each category to specific excerpts in European Union and United States privacy laws. We find that many reported predictors fall into regulated categories, with the largest shares in healthcare and clear differences across industries. We analyze prevalence, industry composition, and temporal patterns, and summarize regulation-aligned timing using each framework's reference year. Our evidence supports privacy-preserving methods and governance checks, and can inform ML practice beyond decision trees.