Digital Privacy Everywhere

TL;DR

Digital Privacy Everywhere (DPE) is a scalable system that actively enforces customizable privacy policies on digital devices within physical spaces, enhancing privacy compliance in sensitive environments.

Contribution

The paper introduces DPE, a comprehensive architecture with centralized management and enforcement modules for real-time privacy policy enforcement across diverse locations.

Findings

Effective real-time privacy enforcement demonstrated

Supports diverse privacy policies and device types

Scalable across multiple physical environments

Abstract

The increasing proliferation of digital and mobile devices equipped with cameras, microphones, GPS, and other privacy invasive components has raised significant concerns for businesses operating in sensitive or policy restricted environments. Current solutions rely on passive enforcement, such as signage or verbal instructions, which are largely ineffective. This paper presents Digital Privacy Everywhere (DPE), a comprehensive and scalable system designed to actively enforce custom privacy policies for digital devices within predefined physical boundaries. The DPE architecture includes a centralized management console, field verification units (FVUs), enforcement modules for mobile devices (EMMDs), and an External Geo Ownership Service (EGOS). These components collaboratively detect, configure, and enforce privacy settings such as disabling cameras, microphones, or radios across various premises like theaters, hospitals, financial institutions, and educational facilities. The system ensures privacy compliance in real time while maintaining a seamless user experience and operational scalability across geographies.