A privacy-enhancing e-business model based on infomediaries

Abstract

Rapid evolution of Internet may largely depend on gaining and maintaining the trust of users. This possibility may especially rule enterprises, whose financial viability depends on electronic commerce. Neither customers will have the time, the ability or the endurance to work out the best deals with vendors, nor will vendors have time to bargain with every customer. In order for customers to strike the best bargain with vendors, they need a privacy supporter, an information intermediary or infomediary. Infomediaries will become the custodians, agents, and brokers of customer personal information exchanged via Internet, while at the same time protecting their privacy. There is a scale between security and privacy that currently leans towards security; security adopts strong user authentication mechanisms in order to control access to personal data, while privacy requires loose authentication in order to provide user anonymity. In this paper we introduce a new infomediaries-based, privacy enhancing business model, which is capable of providing anonymity, privacy and security, to customers and vendors of e-commerce. Using this model, customers of e-commerce can buy goods or services, without revealing their real identity or preferences to vendors, and vendors can sell or advertise goods or services without violating the privacy of their customers.