Telecom ID Hashing for Privacy-Preserving Instant Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile phone operators are reluctant to reveal sensitive MSISDNs to third parties due to concerns about nuisance calls and spam, and existing systems require disclosure of MSISDNs for instant messaging services, compromising privacy.
Innovation Solution
A method where data associated with an ID is stored with a corresponding value derived from the ID, such as through hashing, allowing retrieval by third parties only if they can provide the correct value, ensuring that the original ID remains confidential and preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If MSISDN is disclosed to third-party service providers for instant messaging services, then service functionality is enabled, but subscriber privacy and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third-party service provider as an intermediary that operates without access to actual MSISDNs. The service provider receives service requests and returns results, but never obtains the sensitive subscriber identification data. This mediator approach enables instant messaging functionality while protecting subscriber privacy by decoupling the service provision from direct access to sensitive data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sensitive MSISDN data from the service provision process. The network core retains exclusive access to MSISDNs, while the third-party service provider handles only service logic and data retrieval/return operations. This extraction separates the harmful element (MSISDN exposure) from the useful function (instant messaging service), allowing the service to operate without compromising security.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If MSISDN is kept confidential from third parties, then privacy is protected, but service functionality requiring user identification is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The network core acts as an intermediary that enables service functionality without exposing MSISDNs. When a service request requires user identification, the network core processes the request using its access to MSISDN data and returns only the necessary service results to the third-party provider. This maintains privacy while preserving service capability through the intermediary's behind-the-scenes data access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a functional copy of the identification service without copying the sensitive data itself. The third-party service provider receives service outcomes that are sufficient for instant messaging functionality, while the actual MSISDN remains confined to the network core. This copying approach provides service capability without duplicating or exposing sensitive information.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication method, for use with a telecommunications system, enables special communications to be routed to respective devices in a group of the devices by addressing the devices with a respective special identifier. The telecommunications system includes a network core and a plurality of subscriber devices registered with the network core. The core enables communications to be routed to the devices by a respective ID allocated to each device. The method further includes maintaining a store of the special identifier of each device in the group and a corresponding value derived from the ID. The method enables the special identifier of a device in the group to be obtained from the store by providing the store with the corresponding value derived from that device's ID.