Privacy Vault System for Granular Data Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users lack control and transparency over their personal data, which is extensively collected and used by various services without their full understanding or consent, leading to concerns about data usage and value exchange.
Innovation Solution
A privacy vault system that stores user data and associated access permissions, allowing users to manage and control data access, usage, and sharing with third-party services, providing granular control and transparency through categorization, auditing, and negotiation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If services collect and use user data to provide targeted recommendations and advertisements, then service value and user personalization improve, but user control and transparency over their data deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data intermediary system that acts as a mediator between users and service providers. This intermediary manages user data, controls access permissions, and enables users to grant or revoke data access rights without directly interacting with each service provider. The intermediary system resolves the contradiction by providing centralized control mechanisms that maintain service personalization while enhancing user control and transparency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments user data into different categories and types, allowing users to control access to specific data elements independently. By dividing data into manageable segments with distinct access permissions, the system enables fine-grained user control over which data is shared with which services, thereby maintaining service personalization while giving users precise control over their data.
2Quantity of substance
If services gather extensive user data to build comprehensive profiles, then data value and service quality improve, but user awareness and understanding of data usage deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms that provide users with visibility into what data is being collected, how it is being used, and which services have access to their data. The system continuously informs users about data access requests, current permissions, and usage patterns, enabling informed decision-making. This feedback loop resolves the contradiction by maintaining comprehensive data collection while ensuring user awareness and understanding.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediary system serves as a transparent bridge between users and data processing activities. It provides users with a clear interface to view and understand their data footprint, while services receive the necessary data through controlled access mechanisms. The intermediary translates complex data relationships into user-friendly information, resolving the contradiction between extensive data gathering and user comprehension.
3Loss of energy
If services share user data with multiple third parties for monetization, then economic value and service sustainability improve, but user security and data protection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a secure intermediary layer that manages all third-party data access requests. This intermediary enforces access control policies, authenticates third parties, and monitors data sharing activities. By routing all data sharing through this controlled intermediary, the system enables service monetization and sustainability while maintaining robust security controls and protecting user data from unauthorized access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different security measures and access permissions to different data elements and third parties based on their specific requirements and trust levels. Rather than applying a uniform security approach, the system tailors security controls to each data-service relationship, enabling sustainable data sharing while maintaining appropriate security protections for each specific case.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a privacy vault storing user-associated contents. The vault also stores access permissions defined for third-parties with whom the user has a sharing relationship. An access permission defines, for at least one third party, procurement and utilization policies for vault contents accessed by the third-party. The system may access a user account to recover user-associated contents stored by the accessed account and stores the recovered contents in the privacy vault. The system receives a request from a third-party to access identified contents stored in the privacy vault and determines if the contents are procurable by the third party based on an access permission defined, in the privacy vault, for the third-party. The system provides procurable contents to the third party along with indication of any constraints on the contents defined by utilization policies of the access permission defined for the third party.