Privacy Enhanced Technologies: Methods – Markets – Misuse

Abstract

Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies has a tradition of about 25 years. The basic technologies and ideas were found until 1995 while the last decade was dominated by the utilisation of such technologies. The question arises if there is a market for Privacy Enhanced Technology. The answer is yes, however Privacy Enhancing Technology may not have been broadly known yet in order to make it profitable. The governments or non-profit organisations must therefore run such systems or at least promote their further development and deployment. Especially governments have however conflicting interests: While governments of democratic nations are responsible to keep the freedom of citizens (and privacy as a part of it), governments also need instruments to prosecute criminal activities. Subsequently, Privacy Enhancing Technologies have to consider law enforcement functionality in order to balance these different targets.