Systems and methods for protecting privacy

1. A computer-implemented method of protecting privacy, wherein the computer includes a processor, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for aggregated information that is based on an extraction transformation applied to stored information, wherein the extraction transformation is based on data mining;

determining extraction characteristics based on characteristics of the extraction transformation, or the stored information, or both;

applying, by the computer, a privacy protecting transformation to the aggregated information based on a privacy policy and the extraction characteristics, wherein the privacy protecting transformation decouples the aggregated information, which combines information associated with a plurality of individual subjects, from a respective individual subject covered by the privacy policy; and

returning a response to the request based on the applied privacy protecting transformation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the privacy protecting transformation is based on the request for the aggregated information.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining one of the individual subjects associated with the aggregated information; and

determining public information associated with the individual subject, wherein the privacy protecting transformation is based on the public information concerning the individual subject.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a history of requests for the aggregated information, wherein applying the privacy protecting transformation is based on the history of requests.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the history of requests for the aggregated information is determined based on at least one of: an identifier, a name, an account identifier, a protocol address identifier, a legal relationship, a location, and time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the privacy policy is a combined privacy policy based on at least two privacy policies.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the combined privacy policy is based on at least one of: a privacy policy associated with a subject of the request for the aggregated information, and a privacy policy associated with the originator of the request for the aggregated information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the aggregated information originates from at least one of an organization and an individual.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the organization is at least one of: a buyer; a seller; an employer; and a government entity.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the aggregated information refers to at least one of: an individual; an organization; and a transaction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored information is at least one of: transaction information; personal information; financial information; and location information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transaction information is at least one of: credit card; purchase; sale; refund; merchandise return; coupon; and discount information.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the personal information is at least one of: demographic; health; financial; employment; location and ownership information.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the financial information is at least one of: home ownership; stock ownership; bond ownership; business ownership; mortgage; bank account; credit score; net worth; and salary.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the location information is at least one of: inferred location information and specific location information.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the inferred location information is based on at least one of: communication information and machine type information.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the specific location information is based on at least one of: global positioning; cellular antenna; video; sound; and biometric information.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the privacy protecting transformation includes at least one of: merging information and aggregating information.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the privacy protecting transformation performs at least one of: merging, withholding, and generalizing information based on the privacy policy.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the privacy protecting transformation is based on prior requests for information.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the prior requests for information are from at least one of: an individual requestor and a group of requestors.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the privacy protecting transformation is based in part on a generalization introduced by knowledge extraction.

23. A system for protecting privacy comprising:

an input/output circuit that receives a request for aggregated information that is based on an extraction transformation applied to stored information, wherein the extraction transformation is based on data mining;

a memory; and

a processor that

determines extraction characteristics based on characteristics of the extraction transformation, or the stored information, or both;

applies a privacy protecting transformation to the aggregated information based on a privacy policy and the extraction characteristics, wherein the privacy protecting transformation decouples the aggregated information, which combines information associated with a plurality of individual subjects, from a respective individual subject covered by the privacy policy; and

returns a response to the request based on the applied privacy protecting transformation.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein applying the privacy protection transformation is based on the request for the aggregated information.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processor further

determines one of the individual subjects associated with the aggregated information;

determines public information associated with the individual subject; and

applies the privacy protecting transformation based on the public information concerning the individual subject.

26. The system of claim 23 , further comprising determining a history of requests for information; wherein applying the privacy protecting transformation is based on the history of requests.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein a history of requests for the aggregated information is determined based on at least one of: an identifier, a name, an account identifier, a protocol address identifier, a legal relationship, a location, and time.

28. The system of claim 23 , wherein the privacy policy is a combined privacy policy based on at least two privacy policies.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the combined privacy policy is based on at least one of: a privacy policy associated with a subject of the request for the aggregated information, and a privacy policy associated with an originator of the request for the aggregated information.

30. The system of claim 23 , wherein the request for the aggregated information received by the input/output circuit originates from at least one of: an organization and an individual.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the organization is at least one of: a buyer; a seller; an employer; and a government entity.

32. The system of claim 23 , wherein the request for the aggregated information refers to at least one of: an individual; an organization; and a transaction.

33. The system of claims 23 , wherein the stored information is at least one of: transaction information; personal information; financial information; and location information.

34. The system of claim 33 , wherein the transaction information is at least one of: credit card; purchase; sale; refund; merchandise return; coupon; and discount information.

35. The system of claim 33 , wherein the personal information is at least one of: demographic; health; financial; employment; location and ownership information.

36. The system of claim 33 , wherein the financial information is at least one of: home ownership; stock ownership; bond ownership; business ownership; mortgage; bank account; credit score; net worth; and salary.

37. The system of claim 33 , wherein the location information is at least one of: inferred location information and specific location information.

38. The system of claim 37 , wherein the inferred location information is based on at least one of: communication information; and machine type information.

39. The system of claim 37 , wherein the specific location information is based on at least one of: global positioning; cellular antenna; video; sound; and biometric information.

40. The system of claim 23 , wherein the privacy protecting transformation includes at least one of: merging information and aggregating information.

41. The system of claim 23 , wherein the privacy protecting transformation performs at least one of: merging, withholding, and generalizing information based on the privacy policy.

42. The system of claim 23 , wherein applying the privacy protecting transformation is based on prior requests for information.

43. The system of claim 42 , wherein the prior requests for information are from at least one of: an individual requestor and a group of requestors.

44. The system of claim 23 , wherein applying the privacy protecting transformation is based in part on a generalization introduced by knowledge extraction.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising: computer readable program code embodied on the computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code usable to program a computer for protecting privacy comprising:

receiving a request for aggregated information that is based on an extraction transformation applied to stored information, wherein the extraction transformation is based on data mining;

determining extraction characteristics based on characteristics of the extraction transformation, or the stored information, or both; and

applying a privacy protecting transformation to the aggregated information based on a privacy policy and the extraction characteristics, wherein the privacy protecting transformation decouples the aggregated information, which combines information associated with a plurality of the individual subjects, from a respective individual subject covered by the privacy policy; and

returning a response to the request based on the applied privacy protecting transformation.

46. A method of protecting privacy comprising:

determining a privacy policy;

determining an extraction transformation, which is based on data mining;

aggregating the stored information by applying the extraction transformation to the stored information; and

applying a privacy protecting transformation to the aggregated information based on the determined privacy policy, wherein the privacy protecting transformation decouples the aggregated information, which combines information associated with a plurality of the individual subjects, from a respective individual subject covered by the privacy policy.

47. A system for protecting privacy comprising:

an input/output circuit that receives a request for aggregated information that is based on an extraction transformation applied to stored information, wherein the extraction transformation is based on data mining;

a memory; and

a processor that

determines a privacy policy; and

determines an extraction transformation, which is based on data mining and comprises characteristics of the extraction transformation, or the stored information, or both;

applies a privacy protecting transformation to the aggregated information based on the privacy policy and the extraction transformation, wherein the privacy protecting transformation decouples the aggregated information, which combines information associated with a plurality of the individual subjects, from a respective individual subject covered by the privacy policy.