Conceptual Framework and a Critical Review for Privacy Preservation in Context Aware Systems

Advent of 4 G networks, IPv6 and increasing number of subscribers to these indicate that each mobile device will have its own IP address and virtually become a hotspot. In the coming years, systems that track and record our movements will indispensably be integrated in our everyday life. Location-based systems: dashboard navigation systems, Internet enabled smart phones with GPS features, and electronic tags that help us at various locations are extensively in use. In near future, location-aware/ context aware tools will become more common and sophisticated. Increasing number of services (apps)/devices that will track not only the location, but also the context / environment of the user will enter the market. The perils of exposure on Internet and subsequent exploitation have been widely recorded in literature. Some of the services provided do necessitate the knowledge of exact location, context and some personal details, like in case of assistance during accidents, but generally, applications like finding the restaurants or movies playing in an area do not require the exact location and context of the user. When a user´s movement in public spaces is tracked and systematically recorded along with the context of his actions, his contextual privacy is under threat. This paper surveys current state of research in this area and analyses the effect of threat on the privacy of context aware system users. Based on the insight, we propose a novel framework to tackle the privacy preservation issue comprehensively: from user perspective as well as service provider perspective.