Privacy Threats in Social Networks (A04)

• Subject Area: Security and Dependability, Operating-, Communication- and Distributed Systems
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 272573906

A key feature of online social networks is the possibility to forward information posted by another user. Although such information spreading can easily reach unintended recipients (or even "go viral"), social network users today have no support for understanding their potential exposure. Models of spreading processes have been widely considered, yet they focus on information of public (as opposed to private) interest, and do not take into account the ranking mechanisms organizing users` feeds. To address this problem, we will devise probabilistic information-diffusion models interleaving data reproduction with data exposure. We will tailor state-of-the-art algorithms to analyze and predict information spreads.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1223: Methods and Tools for Understanding and Controlling Privacy
• Applicant Institution: Universität des Saarlandes
• Co-Applicant Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Softwaresysteme
• Project Heads: Manuel Gomez-Rodriguez, Ph.D.; Professor Krishna Gummadi, Ph.D.