User-centric privacy preserving models for a new era of the Internet of Things
Jorge Eduardo Rivadeneira, Jorge Sá Silva, Ricardo Colomo‐Palacios, André Rodrigues, Fernando Boavida
Abstract
New concepts based on the Internet of Things propose the integration of the human factor as a key component of novel interconnected ecosystems, to offer them new services and features. However, the data acquisition process, carried out by the devices that allow the deployment of these new paradigms, leads to concerns about what kind of information these entities are able to collect and/or infer. In fact, in most cases, users are not aware that their information is being gathered, nor can they properly control these data flows. Nowadays, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation calls for the adoption of transparent practices comprising, inter alia, adequate notification mechanisms, proper consent management schemes, and the development of models to empower the user as an active participant, with full control over the data flows, along with privacy preservation techniques. In this specific context, the aim of this manuscript is to present a review of existing user-centric privacy preservation models. This is, as far as we know, one of the few papers that addresses this particular privacy preserving dimension within an IoT context. Finally, the paper identifies and summarizes open issues, including a discussion of research opportunities in this area.