Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a dynamic user interface for managing resource permissions while using a browser. An example method includes determining that a user of the computing device has not blocked a permission for a resource and has not allowed the permission for the resource, the permission for the resource being requested by a website. The method may also include obtaining a permission score for the resource from a model, the permission score representing a likelihood of the user allowing use of the resource. The method may also include selecting a permissions interface element from one of a loud user interface element, a quiet user interface element, and an intermediate user interface element based on the permission score and generating a user interface on a display that includes the permissions interface element.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for automatically optimizing application program code for minimized access to privacy data. A privacy-oriented code optimizing module process and/or facilitate a processing one or more code segments, one or more execution logs associated with the one or more code segments, or a combination thereof to determine at least one privacy intrusion signature associated with the one or more code segments. Further, the privacy-oriented code optimizing module determines one or more recommendations for one or more alternate code segments based, at least in part, on the at least one privacy intrusion signature.

Abstract: Privacy evaluation in a mobile electronic device. Location data collected by one or more applications operating on the electronic device is evaluated to determine the precision with which a user's location and movements can be reconstructed based on the location data collected by one or more of the applications. Information relating to such precision may be presented to the user, suitably by a graphic display representing a circle or ellipse within which the user's movement cannot be determined or a set of streets within which the user's movement cannot be determined.

Abstract: A probabilistic system and method facilitates the sharing of a secret among participating users in a private way. The secret shares satisfy the condition that their sum equal a predefined number that is chosen by a third party aggregator. Without interacting with any other user, each user computes a secret share according to a predefined probability density function. If enough parties join, their secret shares can be combined by the aggregator with relative efficiency into a secret with a high likelihood of success.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for privacy-preserving aggregation of encrypted data. During operation, the system distributes secret keys to a plurality of devices. The system receives at least a pair of encrypted vectors from each device of a subset of the plurality of devices. One of the encrypted vectors is associated with a set of numerical values and the other encrypted vector is associated with corresponding square values of the set of numerical values. Each pair of encrypted vectors is encrypted using a respective secret key distributed to a device of the plurality of devices. The system then computes, for each pair of encrypted vector elements associated with a numerical value and a square of the numerical value, a mean and variance of a probability density function. The system then generates a plurality of probability density functions based on the computed mean and variance values.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for privacy-sensitive ranking of aggregated data. During operation, the system distributes secret keys to a plurality of devices. The system then generates a plurality of probability density functions in a privacy-preserving way using encrypted data received from a subset of the plurality of devices. The encrypted data is data that has been encrypted with one or more of the secret keys by the subset of devices. The system then generates a plurality of probability mass functions, each probability mass function associated with a corresponding probability density function. Subsequently, the system computes a plurality of distance values, each respective distance value being a measure of distance from a probability mass function to a second distribution. The system then ranks the probability mass functions and/or associated attributes according to their respective distance from the second distribution.

Abstract: A probabilistic system and method facilitates the sharing of a secret among participating users in a private way. The secret shares satisfy the condition that their sum equal a predefined number that is chosen by a third party aggregator. Without interacting with any other user, each user computes a secret share according to a predefined probability density function. If enough parties join, their secret shares can be combined by the aggregator with relative efficiency into a secret with a high likelihood of success.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for automatically optimizing application program code for minimized access to privacy data. A privacy-oriented code optimizing module process and/or facilitate a processing one or more code segments, one or more execution logs associated with the one or more code segments, or a combination thereof to determine at least one privacy intrusion signature associated with the one or more code segments. Further, the privacy-oriented code optimizing module determines one or more recommendations for one or more alternate code segments based, at least in part, on the at least one privacy intrusion signature.

Abstract: An approach is provided for preserving privacy for appointment scheduling. A scheduling platform receives a request to schedule an appointment among one or more users. The scheduling platform determines availability information for the one or more users from one or more respective devices, wherein the availability information is encrypted using homomorphic encryption. The scheduling platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the availability information using, at least in part, one or more homomorphic functions to determine one or more recommended time slots for the appointment.

Abstract: Privacy evaluation in a mobile electronic device. Location data collected by one or more applications operating on the electronic device is evaluated to determine the precision with which a user's location and movements can be reconstructed based on the location data collected by one or more of the applications. Information relating to such precision may be presented to the user, suitably by a graphic display representing a circle or ellipse within which the user's movement cannot be determined or a set of streets within which the user's movement cannot be determined.

Abstract: An approach is provided for preserving privacy for appointment scheduling. A scheduling platform receives a request to schedule an appointment among one or more users. The scheduling platform determines availability information for the one or more users from one or more respective devices, wherein the availability information is encrypted using homomorphic encryption. The scheduling platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the availability information using, at least in part, one or more homomorphic functions to determine one or more recommended time slots for the appointment.