Evaluating User-centered Privacy Model (UPM) in pervasive computing systems

Abstract

The fact that pervasive systems are typically embedded and invisible makes it difficult for users to know when, where, and how these devices are collecting data. So privacy is a major issue for pervasive computing applications and several privacy models have been proposed for pervasive environments. In this paper we present the evaluation of a XML based User-centered Privacy Model (UPM) and measure this model unobtrusiveness and discuss privacy policies' expressiveness, and user control over private information. We show that the model provides content, identity, location, and time privacy with low unobtrusiveness while privacy policies are highly expressive and support mandatory and discretionary rules, context sensitivity, uncertainty handling, and conflict resolution. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.