Distributed Privacy Agents for Anonymous Web Request Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing privacy protection systems for internet users rely on central proxy servers, which can compromise user anonymity and privacy, as they often require a central point of control and may not effectively prevent tracking of user behavior across multiple web interactions.
Innovation Solution
A peer-to-peer network architecture utilizing multiple privacy agents with unique identifications, where requests from clients are routed through a chain of nodes, ensuring that only neighboring nodes know each other's identities, and requests are anonymized, preventing correlation of user behavior over time, while allowing identification when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a central proxy server is used for privacy protection, then user requests can be anonymized, but user anonymity is compromised and tracking can still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the privacy protection system into multiple independent privacy agents distributed across different nodes in a peer-to-peer network, replacing the centralized proxy server architecture. Each agent handles specific requests locally, segmenting the anonymization function to prevent any single point from having complete user identification information, thus maintaining anonymity while providing effective privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate privacy agents that act as mediators between the client and the web server. These agents forward requests and responses while stripping or obscuring identifying information, serving as anonymous intermediaries that protect user identity from both the client application and the target web server, thereby maintaining anonymity while enabling privacy protection.
2Device complexity
If a central proxy server is used, then request routing is simplified, but the system becomes vulnerable to centralized control and tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the request routing function across multiple distributed privacy agents in a peer-to-peer network, eliminating the single central proxy server. Each agent independently handles routing decisions for its local requests, distributing the routing intelligence throughout the network. This maintains operational simplicity at each node while preventing centralized control and tracking.
3Loss of information
If multiple privacy agents are used in a peer-to-peer network, then user anonymity is maintained, but request routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses intermediate privacy agents as mediators that simplify the routing process by automatically forwarding requests between neighboring nodes without requiring complex global routing logic. Each intermediary agent handles local routing decisions based on simple criteria, reducing the overall routing complexity while maintaining the distributed anonymous structure of the peer-to-peer network.
4Reliability
If requests are anonymized through multiple agents, then tracking is prevented, but navigation seamlessness may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous anonymization of requests as they pass through the chain of privacy agents, maintaining the privacy protection throughout the entire navigation process. The automatic forwarding mechanism operates continuously without requiring user intervention, preserving both the tracking prevention and the seamless navigation experience by making the anonymization process transparent and uninterrupted.
Data Source
AI summary
Protecting privacy when communicating with a web server via a communication network, includes receiving by a first privacy agent a request from an application program of a client system for a connection to a web server having a target web server address, sending the request together with a first identification from the first privacy agent to the second privacy agent, forwarding the request together with a second identification from the second privacy agent to the third privacy agent. Further processing is performed responsive to determining that the target web server address matches a defined web server address which is accessible by the third privacy agent.