Patent ID: 7877494

Claim:
A method of controlling the use and communication of User Data in a network, the method comprising: maintaining in connection with a Privacy Service (PS), a policy for User Data related to one or more of an End User identity element, a User Data trust element, a User Data usage rights element or a User Data security element for use or communication of the User Data; in connection with a communication of the User Data from a sending node to a receiving node, receiving information by the PS related to attributes of the communication related to at least one of the Application, Context or Time of the communication; updating the policy for the User Data based on the received information; controlling the communication and use of the User data based on the updated policy for the User Data, wherein the controlling includes the sending of control information by the PS via a wireless interface; using a processor for measuring and tracking PS metrics related to the End User identity element and for determining a selected policy manifold metric based on selected PS metrics accumulated or a selected time period whereby the policy manifold metric provides an overall privacy indication with respect to the User Data and selected time period upon which the selected PS metrics are based; measuring by the PS metrics related to the End User identity element, the User Data trust element, the User Data usage rights element and the User Data security element for use or communication of the User Data in connection with the communication of the User Data and using the measurement in connection with maintaining the policy and controlling the User Data; and using the PS metrics to provide policy deviation indications to an End User, wherein the controlling the communication and use of the User data based on the updated policy for the User Data includes the sending of control information by the PS including policy control information originating from the End User based on the policy deviation indications.