The article discusses the controversy surrounding whether the locations of National Forest Inventory (NFI) plots should be openly accessible or only accessible in justified exceptions. The authors argue that the exact location of NFI sample plots should remain unknown to the public in order to maintain the representativeness and randomness of the sample. They provide examples of adverse effects that can occur if plot locations are shared, such as tampering with the results of the inventory or breaching data protection regulations. The authors suggest making case-by-case decisions for granting access to plot information, considering the purpose of the study and compliance with data protection regulations. They also acknowledge the different challenges faced by forest inventories in the Global South and the need to consider socioeconomic factors in the discussion. [Extracted from the article]