Abstract: An approach is provided for determining user characteristics based on use. The characteristic platform causes, at least in part, a storage of data associated with at least one use of one or more services, one or more applications, or a combination thereof in at least one buffer, wherein the data is associated with at least one user of the one or more services, the one or more applications, or a combination thereof. Next, the characteristic platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of the data to determine one or more characteristics of the at least one user. Then, the characteristic platform determines at least one disposition of the data in the at least one buffer based, at least in part, on the one or more characteristics.