Relational Social Network Database With User-Controlled Data Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing social networks and online marketplaces store and control user data without user consent, allowing minimal user control over their data, which is used for algorithmic profiling and commercial purposes, and data deletion is ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A relational database system with data blocks managed by users, using data chains to control data sharing and a blockchain for secure, unmodifiable storage of certain data, ensuring user ownership and control over their data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If user data is stored on operator servers for algorithmic profiling and commercial use, then the operator can create comprehensive user profiles for business purposes, but users lose control over their data and cannot delete or modify it effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments user data control by introducing data spaces that are divided into public, protected, and private areas. Users can selectively share different portions of their data with different users or applications, rather than having all-or-nothing control. This segmentation allows operators to access necessary data for service functionality while users retain control over sensitive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces data spaces as an intermediary layer between users and operators. Instead of operators directly accessing user data on their servers, data must be explicitly shared through the data space mechanism. This intermediary structure enables users to control what data is made available to operators and applications while still allowing data utilization for service delivery.
2Loss of information
If user data is continuously collected and stored to improve user profiles, then the comprehensiveness of user profiles increases, but data security and user privacy are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the accessibility and protection level of different data regions. Public data spaces are openly accessible for profile completion, protected spaces require authentication, and private spaces are inaccessible to operators. This localized quality control allows comprehensive profiling where needed while maintaining privacy where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by requiring users to explicitly grant access permissions before operators or applications can access their data. Rather than collecting data by default and requiring deletion requests, the system pre-establishes user consent through the data sharing mechanism, ensuring privacy protection is built into the data collection process from the outset.
3Device complexity
If operators maintain centralized control of user data on their servers, then data management and processing efficiency are improved, but user ownership and data portability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling users to directly manage their own data through data spaces. Users can control what data is shared, with whom, and for what purposes without requiring operator intervention. This self-service approach maintains operational simplicity through automated permission management while dramatically improving user data portability and ownership.
Data Source
AI summary
A relational database system for a social network through which a number of users can share data with each other, wherein the data associated with a user is stored as data blocks, the data blocks associated with a user can be managed exclusively by the user, the sharing of data of the data blocks between users in the network is defined by predetermined data chains, wherein each predetermined data chain specifies data from the data associated with a user that the user shares and specifies the user with whom the data is shared, wherein each relation is stored as a data block and can be managed exclusively by the user to whom the data is associated, wherein the predetermined data chains comprise programs that perform functions based on the shared data.