Why don't they just deliver them to you? I'm sorry but this is highly sensible data and the "where does the money come from" caution is the first line of defense a normal user has. Most of the time it is the only one.

Partnering with Bertelsmann here was a huge mistake. It questions not only data security it questions this first line of defense.

Think about it, how am I supposed to tell somebody to give their data to you when I already told them to look for the money first? I'd make myself and my methods unbelievable, incoherent and probably corrupted.

This is really terrible because this research is necessary and important but I hope you understand that I will neither support it nor recommend it...