Abstract: An approach is provided for providing alternative route recommendations for a group of nearby users in a privacy preserving manner. A recommendation platform determines at least one group of one or more users within proximity of at least one location-based service, at least one location-based event, or a combination thereof. A recommendation platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more datasets associated with the group to cause, at least in part, a determination of whether to recommend the at least one location-based service, the at least one location-based event, or a combination thereof to the group. A recommendation platform causes, at least in part, a presentation of the at least one location-based service, the at least one location-based event, or a combination thereof to the group, the one or more users, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the determination of whether to recommend.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to sense ambient smell; and a processor configured, responsive to the sensor sensing the ambient smell, to determine smell impact based on the ambient smell, and to conduct at least one counter action based on the smell impact.

Abstract: In accordance with an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to obtain a first sensor output from a first sensor, receive from a second apparatus a first received sensor output and compare the first sensor output to the first received sensor output, and responsive to the outputs matching, grant a first level of access to the second apparatus.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving an indication of an activity to be performed, obtaining an indication of a current location of a user, transmitting, to a server, information relating to an area in which the location for the activity is to be identified, said information including the current location and one or more criteria relating to activity type and/or required privacy level, receiving, from the server, location information identifying one or more candidate locations for the activity. If a suitable candidate location cannot be identified within the area, further information regarding the candidate locations may be obtained, and comments regarding future conditions or shortcomings of the candidate location may be displayed, or the activity may be divided into two or more sub-tasks to be performed at different locations. The user's progress in performing the activity may be monitored, so that the displayed candidate locations can be updated.

Abstract: An approach is provided for generating privacy ratings for applications. A privacy ratings platform determines use information associated with one or more applications executing on one or more devices. By way of example, the use information is determined based, at least in part, on usage data associated with one or more input sources, one or more components, one or more categories of personal information, or a combination thereof associated with the one or more devices. The privacy ratings platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the use information to determine one or more privacy ratings for the one or more applications.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving information indicative of a map operation that is associated with a map object, the map operation being invoked by a user, determining a map interaction descriptor that comprises information indicative of the map object, information indicative of the map operation, and information indicative of a map object property, determining a privacy setting that is associated with the map interaction descriptor based on at least a portion of the map interaction descriptor, determining a filtered map interaction descriptor based on the privacy setting and the map interaction descriptor, such that the filtered map interaction descriptor is absent at least a portion of at least one of the information indicative of the map object, the information indicative of the map operation, or the information indicative of the map object property, and causing sending of information indicative of the filtered map interaction descriptor to a separate apparatus is disclosed.

Abstract: An approach is provided for transforming application access and data storage details associated with a mobile device to application specific privacy policies. A policy platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of an application code to identify one or more application programming interfaces invoked by the application code. The policy platform causes, at least in part, a profiling of one or more invocation characteristics of the one or more application programming interfaces. The policy platform further causes, at least in part, a mapping of the one or more invocation characteristics against one or more policy templates to cause, at least in part, a generation of at least one policy for the application code.

Abstract: Media items having contents embodying objects are stored in one or more media databases upon instructions of a user, accessible by that user and only accessible by other users under the control of that user. An appraisal indicator associated with one of the objects is representative of an appreciation by the user on that object. If the appraisal indicator meets a deletion criterion, object deletion instructions related to that object are triggered for deleting at least part of two or more of the media items having that object present in their content. The deletion can include media item deletion, or removal of the object in the concerned media item.

Abstract: Various methods are provided for determining run-time characteristics of an application at the time of installation and/or modification. Based on the determined run time characteristics, various methods control the installation and/or modification of the application based on a user privacy profile. One example method may comprise receiving a request to modify an application. A method may further comprise determining whether a conflict is present between the application and a user privacy profile. A method may further comprise causing the determined conflict and at least one conflict resolution to be displayed in an instance in which a conflict is determined. A method additionally comprises causing a user privacy profile to be modified in an instance in which an indication of acceptance is received in response to the displayed at least one conflict resolution.

Abstract: A method comprising identifying a source program to send a target program map interaction data set to a target program, identifying a target program map function set that includes at least one target program map function, identifying a source program map function set that includes at least one source program map function, determining a transfer map function set that is a set intersection of the target program map function set and the source program map function set, identifying a source program map interaction data set, determining a target program map interaction data set to include each source program map interaction data item from the source program map interaction data set that corresponds with at least one target program map function of the target program map function set, and sending the target program map interaction data set to the target program is disclosed.

Abstract: A method operates, during development of an application program intended to be run on a mobile user device, to perform a computer assisted analysis of the application program to determine at least one user privacy-related aspect of the application program; and to present the determined at least one user privacy-related aspect. The determined at least one user privacy-related aspect may be presented to a developer of the application program. An apparatus and system for performing the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving information indicative of a map operation that is associated with a map object, the map operation being invoked by a user, determining a map interaction descriptor that comprises information indicative of the map object, information indicative of the map operation, and information indicative of a map object property, determining a privacy setting that is associated with the map interaction descriptor based on at least a portion of the map interaction descriptor, determining a filtered map interaction descriptor based on the privacy setting and the map interaction descriptor, such that the filtered map interaction descriptor is absent at least a portion of at least one of the information indicative of the map object, the information indicative of the map operation, or the information indicative of the map object property, and causing sending of information indicative of the filtered map interaction descriptor to a separate apparatus is disclosed.

Abstract: A method comprising identifying a source program to send a target program map interaction data set to a target program, identifying a target program map function set that includes at least one target program map function, identifying a source program map function set that includes at least one source program map function, determining a transfer map function set that is a set intersection of the target program map function set and the source program map function set, identifying a source program map interaction data set, determining a target program map interaction data set to include each source program map interaction data item from the source program map interaction data set that corresponds with at least one target program map function of the target program map function set, and sending the target program map interaction data set to the target program is disclosed.

Abstract: An approach is provided for policy adaption based on application policy compliance analysis. The compliance platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more policy compliance logs associated with at least one application to determine one or more policy compliance profiles associated with the at least one application. The compliance platform determines one or more contexts under which the at least one application operates. The compliance platform causes, at least in part, an association of the one or more policy compliance profiles with the one or more contexts. The compliance platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of user contextual information, user application use information, or a combination thereof against the association, the one or more policy compliance profiles, the one or more contexts, or a combination thereof to determine one or more adaptions to one or more policies associated with the at least one application.

Abstract: An approach is provided for determining a communication session established between at least one first device of at least one first user and at least one second device of at least one second user, wherein the at least one first device and the at least one second device are in a collaborative context detection relationship. The privacy platform causes, at least in part, a detection of a presence of at least one third user within a proximity threshold of the at least one first device, the at least one second device, the at least one first user, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof, wherein the detection is performed via the collaborative context detection relationship. The privacy platform also determines one or more modifications to one or more privacy profiles for information exchanged over the communication session based, at least in part, on the detection of the presence of the at least one third user.

Abstract: An approach is provided for determining at least one interaction mode of at least one application executing on at least one device, wherein the at least one device supports shifting from among a plurality of physical form factors. The approach also involves determining at least one selected physical form factor from among the plurality of physical form factors based, at least in part, on the at least one interaction mode, at least one user privacy policy, or a combination thereof. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a shape shifting of the at least one device to the at least one selected physical form factor.

Abstract: An approach for controlling transmission of data based on gaze interaction. A data transmission determination platform determines one or more gaze metrics for one or more users. The one or more gaze metrics, relate, at least in part, to a level of interaction of each user with an object. The data transmission determination platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the one or more gaze metrics, user preference information, propagation information from one or more entities associated with the object, or a combination thereof to determine data to transmit one or more devices associated with at least a subset of the at least one or more users.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program, the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry; and memory circuitry including computer program code; the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least to perform: obtaining gaze tracking information from a plurality of users wherein the gaze tracking information indicates whether or not a user looked at an object; and analysing the obtained gaze tracking information to categorize objects as different types of objects.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for combining a primary document with one or more candidate documents, the method comprising: extracting process steps disclosed in the primary document and extracting candidate process steps disclosed in the one or more candidate documents; constructing a primary data structure corresponding to the primary document, wherein the primary data structure comprises interconnected nodes and each node corresponds to an extracted process step disclosed in the primary document; identifying one or more candidate processes to combine with the primary data structure; and inserting the one or more identified candidate process steps into the primary data structure.

Abstract: An approach is provided for policy adaption based on application policy compliance analysis. The compliance platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more policy compliance logs associated with at least one application to determine one or more policy compliance profiles associated with the at least one application. The compliance platform determines one or more contexts under which the at least one application operates. The compliance platform causes, at least in part, an association of the one or more policy compliance profiles with the one or more contexts. The compliance platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of user contextual information, user application use information, or a combination thereof against the association, the one or more policy compliance profiles, the one or more contexts, or a combination thereof to determine one or more adaptions to one or more policies associated with the at least one application.