Author, as appears in the article.: Sánchez D, Domingo-Ferrer J, Martínez S

Department: Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques

URV's Author/s: Domingo Ferrer, Josep / Martinez Lluis, Sergio / Sánchez Ruenes, David

Keywords: Social networks Information exchange Data privacy Co-utility

Abstract: Social Networks (SNs) have become the mainstream web service by which users publish and share information. However, since much of that information is personal and sensitive, disclosing it in an uncontrolled way entails serious privacy risks. Paradoxically, most SNs assume that their users are willing to disclose sensitive data to others (even strangers) with little to no control. In this paper, we formalize the utility that rational users derive from participating in SNs, and argue that the current information exchange model is hardly sustainable from a rational viewpoint; actually, it goes against the interests of privacy-aware users. To tackle this issue, we propose several co-utile protocols for exchanging (sensitive) information among SN users. An interaction is said to be co-utile if the best way for a participant to increase her own utility is to help other participants increase theirs; hence, co-utile information exchange is self-enforcing and mutually beneficial for rational users. In this way, we ensure the sustainability of SNs in the long term, especially SNs with a sensitive scope (e.g., healthcare).

Thematic Areas: Theoretical computer science Software Medicina ii Matemática / probabilidade e estatística Interdisciplinar Information systems and management Ensino Engenharias iv Engenharias iii Engenharias i Control and systems engineering Comunicação e informação Computer science, information systems Computer science applications Ciencias sociales Ciências biológicas i Ciências ambientais Ciências agrárias i Ciência da computação Biodiversidade Astronomia / física Artificial intelligence Administração pública e de empresas, ciências contábeis e turismo

ISSN: 00200255

Author's mail: sergio.martinezl@urv.cat josep.domingo@urv.cat david.sanchez@urv.cat

Author identifier: 0000-0002-3941-5348 0000-0001-7213-4962 0000-0001-7275-7887

Last page: 65

Record's date: 2023-02-22

Journal volume: 441

Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersion

Link to the original source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020025518300902

Licence document URL: http://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/

Papper original source: Information Sciences. 441 50-65

APA: Sánchez D, Domingo-Ferrer J, Martínez S (2018). Co-utile disclosure of private data in social networks. Information Sciences, 441(), 50-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2018.02.010

Article's DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2018.02.010

Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Journal publication year: 2018

First page: 50

Publication Type: Journal Publications