An Approach for Ensuring Robust Support for Location Privacy and Identity Inference Protection

The challenge of preserving a user\u27s location privacy is more important now than ever before with the proliferation of handheld devices and the pervasive use of location based services. To protect location privacy, we must ensure k-anonymity so that the user remains indistinguishable among k-1 other users. There is no better way but to use a location anonymizer (LA) to achieve k-anonymity. However, its knowledge of each user\u27s current location makes it susceptible to be a single-point-of-failure. In this thesis, we propose a formal location privacy framework, termed SafeGrid that can work with or without an LA. In SafeGrid, LA is designed in such a way that it is no longer a single point of failure. In addition, it is resistant to known attacks and most significantly, the cloaking algorithm it employs meets reciprocity condition. Simulation results exhibit its better performance in query processing and cloaking region calculation compared with existing solutions. In this thesis, we also show that satisfying k-anonymity is not enough in preserving privacy. Especially in an environment where a group of colluded service providers collaborate with each other, a user\u27s privacy can be compromised through identity inference attacks. We present a detailed analysis of such attacks on privacy and propose a novel and powerful privacy definition called s-proximity. In addition to building a formal definition for s-proximity, we show that it is practical and it can be incorporated efficiently into existing systems to make them secure

Right to private life under the scope of mass surveillance: differences in approaches to the implementation of the principle of proportionality in the jurisprudence of the CJEU and the ECtHR

Mass surveillance in a digital age prompts a new domain of challenge in the balancing act of the interest of national security and the right to privacy. The Thesis examines the clash between national security imperatives and the right to privacy by employing mainly a comparative approach. The author establishes the following research question: what are the approaches on implementing a principle of proportionality of the ECtHR in the case of Big Brother Watch and the CJEU in the case of Schrems I and Schrems II? The examination of landmark cases illuminates the need for safeguarding measures and a proactive approach to privacy protection. The main prerequisites for finding the balance between respective interests, inter alia, intervention with one’s privacy shall be strictly necessary and safeguarded on all levels by adequate mechanisms

Carpe Diem: Privacy Protection in Employment Act

What these employees have in common is that their employers technologically monitored them, invading their privacy, yet their lawsuits were dismissed.6 Indeed, scholars generally agree that the law in the United States fails to adequately protect private sector employees from technological monitoring by their employers.7 This article proposes a solution: federal legislation intended to permit private sector employers to monitor their employees when necessary but to also provide their employees adequate privacy protection.8 Section II reviews the nature and extent of the problem of technological monitoring of employees by their employers. Section III surveys the laws and proposed legislation that serve as a foundation for the Proposed Act and articulates the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches in comparison to that of the Proposed Act. Section IV illustrates how the Proposed Act flows from but is different than the prior work of scholars addressing the issue

The United Nation data governance: a panopticon and a catalyst for cooperation

With the rapid advancement of technology and digitalization, the collection, String, processing through machine learning and deep learning, trading of data has become widespread. However, because data privacy laws vary greatly from one jurisdiction to the next, personal information is not consistently secured. For people, corporations, and governments, this lack of harmonization creates challenges in a world that is ever more interconnected. This study looks into the viability of establishing a global data privacy body, specifically as a UN agency. By serving as the global regulatory authority for data privacy, a global data privacy organization can aid in the resolution of these issues. We examine some of these institution's possible benefits in this study, including enhanced privacy protection, safer data storage, and easier international data transfers. Additionally, it covers the obstacles that can develop when establishing an international organization and provides answers to those issues. By utilizing the expertise and resources of the United Nations, an international data privacy body can assist in making sure that data protection rules remain current with technological advancements. Additionally, it can contribute to increasing transparency and accountability in the digital economy, which is advantageous for both governments and enterprises. To further the International Data Governance, establishment of a UN agency to address data privacy, cross border data transfer and global data governance issues is speculative from history, as happened in the development of IPR as important field in International Law WIPO was established. The adoption of a brand-new, comprehensive international data privacy policy is not required to happen (at least not right away) when a global organization is established. By harnessing the knowledge and resources of the United Nations, an international data privacy agency can ensure that data protection laws keep up with technological advancements and foster trust and responsibility in the digital ecosystem. The challenges brought on by the Collection, processing, analysis and transfer of stored data in different geographical locations, gives call for Data Globalization & Data Sovereignty Debate, therefore by establishing an institution by United Nations dedicated to promoting data privacy & related issues will act as a panopticon for State & Non-State actors

Privacy of IoT-Enabled Smart Home Systems

Digital ecosystems are going through a period of change due to the advancement in technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) as well as proliferation of less expensive hardware sensors. Through this chapter, we present current emerging trends in IoT in different industry sectors as well as discuss the key privacy challenges impeding the growth of IoT to reach its potential in the smart home context. The majority of the existing literature on IoT smart home platforms focuses on functionalities provided by smarter connected devices; however, it does not address the concerns from a consumer’s viewpoint. Thus, the key questions are: What are the privacy concerns related to IoT, particularly from a “smart home device” consumer viewpoint? What are the existing remedial approaches for privacy management? This chapter proposes a framework to assist smart home user and IoT device manufacturer to make informed privacy management decisions. The findings of this research intend to help practitioners and researchers interested in the privacy of IoT-enabled smart systems