Method, apparatus, and computer program product for privacy management

Abstract

An apparatus for privacy management may include a processor. The processor may be configured to access one or more privacy options. In this regard, each privacy option may be configured to provide members of one or more groups access to content. The processor may also be configured to provide for selection of a privacy option in association with the content. Associated methods and computer program products may also be provided.

1 . A method of controlling access to user content stored in a networked system including a privacy management apparatus, comprising:
 associating each of a plurality of privacy options with providing members of one or more groups access to content, the plurality of privacy options defined as specific to a user;   operating the privacy management apparatus to order the plurality of privacy options according to relative privacy;   presenting, to the user at a network device, the plurality of privacy options ordered according to their relative privacy;   responsive to a first selection input from the user, associating a first privacy options associated with a first privacy level with a content item comprising a plurality of content sub-items;   responsive to a second selection input from the user, associating a second privacy option associated with a second privacy level with a first one of the plurality of content sub-items comprising the content item;   in response to a request for access to the content item from a requesting party that is a member of the one or more groups associated with the first privacy option, providing for sharing the content item; and   in response to a request for access to the first content sub-item from a requesting party that is a member of the one or more groups associated with the second privacy option, providing for sharing the first content sub-item with the requesting party.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second privacy level is a lower relative privacy level than the first privacy level. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the associating of the first privacy option with the content item also associates all privacy options of a higher relative privacy level than the first privacy level with the content item. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each privacy option corresponds to a different one of a plurality of network access types comprising two or more of a wireless personal area network, a wireless local area network, a local area network, and a mobile network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of operating the privacy management apparatus orders the plurality of privacy options also according to a criterion indicative of relative privacy selected from the group consisting of: number of members in one or more groups associated with each privacy option; and range of the network access type associated with each privacy option. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the criterion comprises the number of members in the largest sized group associated with each privacy option;
 and wherein each of the plurality of privacy options has a largest sized group, with no two privacy options having the same largest sized group.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a slider movable along the privacy line among the representations of the plurality of privacy options on the privacy line. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor circuit;   a user interface;   a privacy option generator controlled by the processor circuit and configured to:
 associate each of a plurality of privacy options with providing members of one or more groups access to content, the plurality of privacy options defined as specific to a user; and 
 order the plurality of privacy options according to relative privacy; and 
   a privacy option selector controlled by the processor circuit and configured to:
 present, to the user at a network device, the plurality of privacy options ordered according to their relative privacy; 
 responsive to a first selection input from the user, associating a first privacy option associated with a first privacy level with a content item comprising a plurality of content sub-items; 
 responsive to a second selection input from the user, associating a second privacy option associated with a second privacy level with a first one of the plurality of content sub-items comprising the content item; 
   wherein the processor circuit is further configured to:
 in response to a request for access to the content item from a requesting party that is a member of the one or more groups associated with the first privacy option, provide for sharing the content item; and 
 in response to a request for access to the first content sub-item from a requesting party that is a member of the one or more groups associated with the second privacy option, provide for sharing the first content sub-item with the requesting party. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second privacy level is a lower relative privacy level than the first privacy level. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the associating of the first privacy option with a content item also associates all privacy options of a higher relative privacy level than the first privacy level with the content item. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each privacy option corresponds to a different one of a plurality of network access types comprising two or more of a wireless personal area network, a wireless local area network, a local area network, and a mobile network. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the privacy option generator is configured to order the plurality of privacy options also according to a criterion indicative of relative privacy selected from the group consisting of: number of members in one or more groups associated with each privacy option; and range of the network access type associated with each privacy option. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the criterion comprises the number of members in the largest sized group associated with each privacy option;
 and wherein each of the plurality of privacy options has a largest sized group, with no two privacy options having the same largest sized group.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises a slider movable along the privacy line among the representations of the plurality of privacy options on the privacy line. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable computer-readable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program code instructions comprising:
 first program code instructions configured to:
 associate each of a plurality of privacy options with providing members of one or more groups access to content, the plurality of privacy options defined as specific to a user; and 
 order the plurality of privacy options according to relative privacy; and 
   second program code instructions configured to:
 present, to the user at a network device, the plurality of privacy options ordered according to their relative privacy; 
 responsive to a first selection input from the user, associating a first privacy option associated with a first privacy level with a content item comprising a plurality of content sub-items; 
 responsive to a second selection input from the user, associating a second privacy option associated with a second privacy level with a first one of the plurality of content sub-items comprising the content item; 
   third program code instructions configured to:
 in response to a request for access to the content item from a requesting party that is a member of the one or more groups associated with the first privacy option, provide for sharing the content item; and 
 in response to a request for access to the first content sub-item from a requesting party that is a member of the one or more groups associated with the second privacy option, provide for sharing the first content sub-item with the requesting party. 
   
     
     
         16 . The storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the second privacy level is a lower relative privacy level than the first privacy level. 
     
     
         17 . The storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the associating of the first privacy option with a content item also associates all privacy options of a higher relative privacy level than the first privacy level with the content item. 
     
     
         18 . The storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein each privacy option corresponds to a different one of a plurality of network access types comprising two or more of a wireless personal area network, a wireless local area network, a local area network, and a mobile network. 
     
     
         19 . The storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of privacy options has a largest sized group, with no two privacy options having the same largest sized group;
 and wherein the privacy option generator is configured to order the plurality of privacy options also according to a criterion indicative of relative privacy selected from the group consisting of: number of members the largest sized group associated with each privacy option; and range of the network access type associated with each privacy option.