UC Davis

Existing models of privacy assume that the set of data to be held confidential is immutable. Unfortunately, that is often not the case. The need for privacy is balanced against the need to use the data, and the benefits that will accrue from the use of the data. We propose a model to balance privacy and utility of data. This model allows both the data provider and the data user to negotiate both requirements until a satisfactory balance is reached, or one (or both) determine such a balance cannot be reached. Thus, this model enables less than perfect privacy, or less than complete utility, as is appropriate for the particular circumstances under which the dat a was gathered and is being held, and the specific use to which it is to be put.