Anonymous Wireless Event Correlation via Hash Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network operators face challenges in balancing privacy and traceability requirements, particularly in complying with GDPR regulations while maintaining neutrality and avoiding liability for user identity tracking in anonymized communication reports.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a network controller that uses shared randomization tokens between end points to generate communication reports with hash values, allowing for tracing of end point identity information while maintaining user anonymity and neutrality, thus enabling compliance with GDPR without tracking user identities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If network operators implement full identity tracking to satisfy law enforcement inquiries, then traceability is improved, but user privacy is worsened and GDPR compliance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism using hash functions and randomization tokens that allows the network operator to correlate communication reports without directly accessing or storing user identity information. The hash of the randomization token serves as a mediator that enables traceability while preserving privacy, as the network operator can match hashes across reports without knowing the underlying user identities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the randomization token through hashing, where only the hash value is stored and transmitted in communication reports. This copy allows for correlation and traceability operations while the original randomization token and user identity information remain hidden from the network operator, enabling GDPR compliance while maintaining investigative capabilities.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If network operators anonymize communication reports to protect user privacy, then user privacy is improved, but the ability to trace end point identity information is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The hash function acts as an intermediary that processes identity information in a way that preserves privacy while enabling traceability. The network operator receives anonymized communication reports containing hashes of randomization tokens and can correlate these hashes to trace communications between endpoints without ever needing to see or store the actual user identity information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the parameter representation of identity information from raw user identifiers to hashed values of randomization tokens. This parameter change maintains the functional capability for traceability through hash matching while fundamentally altering the data representation to ensure user privacy protection and GDPR compliance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If network operators maintain neutrality and avoid liability for identity tracking, then legal liability is reduced, but the ability to fulfill law enforcement inquiries is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The network operator uses the hash of the randomization token as an intermediary mechanism to cooperate with law enforcement inquiries. The operator can provide correlated communication data based on hash matches without directly tracking or storing user identities, thereby maintaining neutrality and avoiding legal liability while still enabling necessary investigative functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The network operator works with a copy (hash) of the randomization token rather than the original user identity data. This allows the operator to fulfill law enforcement requests for traceability and correlation while maintaining legal neutrality and avoiding direct responsibility for identity tracking, as the hash serves as a pseudonymous identifier that cannot be directly linked to users without additional information.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes: transmitting a message to a first end point that includes an instruction to initiate a communication type, wherein the communication type includes sharing a randomization token between the first and second end points; obtaining a first communication report from the first end point and a second communication report from the second end point in response to initialization of a communication based on the communication type between the first end point and the second end point across the network, wherein the first and second communication reports respectively include a first and second hash that corresponds to a function of the randomization token and identity information; determining whether the first hash matches the second hash; generating a value that correlates the first and second end points with the communication across the network in response to determining that the first hash matches the second hash.