Image Identity Anonymization With Consent-Based Key Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to adequately protect the privacy of individuals whose identities are captured in shared videos and images by ensuring they have control over the decryption and distribution of their identity information.
Innovation Solution
An anonymization service is provided through an anonymization server that encrypts specific regions of images or videos containing identities, requiring permission from the individuals depicted before allowing decryption by other agencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If images or videos capturing identity are shared between agencies, then investigation and record purposes are fulfilled, but privacy protection of individuals is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The image or video is divided into multiple regions, with only the specific region containing the individual's identity encrypted while other regions remain unencrypted. This allows the receiving agency to access and process most of the content without compromising privacy, while still enabling selective decryption when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
An anonymization server acts as an intermediary between the first agency (which has the encryption key) and the second agency (which needs to access the image). The server manages the encryption/decryption process and can release the decryption key to the second agency only when the individual provides consent, thus mediating between investigation needs and privacy protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If full encryption is applied to protect identity, then privacy is maximized, but accessibility and utility of the image are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of encrypting the entire image, only the specific region containing the individual's identity is encrypted. This maintains privacy protection for the sensitive portion while leaving the rest of the image fully accessible and usable for investigation purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the image have different encryption properties. The region with identifiable information has strong encryption for privacy protection, while other regions have no encryption for ease of access and analysis.
3Ease of operation
If decryption key is shared with receiving agency, then image accessibility is improved, but control over identity information distribution is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption key is not shared in advance with the receiving agency. Instead, the anonymization server waits for and requires explicit consent from the individual before releasing the decryption key. This preliminary verification ensures control over identity information distribution is maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The anonymization server serves as a controlled intermediary that manages the decryption key distribution process. It can choose to release the key to the receiving agency when consent is obtained, thereby maintaining reliable control over when and how identity information is accessed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A process of requesting and providing an anonymization service for sharing images or videos capturing identity of persons. An anonymization server receives a request including information corresponding to an identifier identifying the image or the video, a region within the image or video in which an identity of a person is captured, an encryption key used to encrypt the region of the image or the video, and contact information of the person. When the anonymization server receives a request from the second agency to share an encryption key for decrypting the region, the server transmits a request to the person to provide a permission to deanonymize the identity of the person captured in the image or video. The anonymization server transmits a response including the encryption key to the second agency when a response indicating a permission is received from the person