Data-Leashing: Towards a Characterization of The Problem and Its Solution

Once sensitive digital content is shared or leaked, it is not feasible for the content owner to control it. This has led to issues whereby the privacy of leaked information is compromised. There is a need for a solution to allow digital content creators to maintain control of their digital assets even after they have been shared, downloaded, and saved by the receiver. In this paper, we propose a novel approach called Data-Leashing - inspired by the common practice of putting a leash on a pet. The proposed approach solves the post-sharing control of data problem by encapsulating digital assets (such as personal pictures) in a special container program that protects the digital assets. The specialized container program allows only authorized users to access protected digital assets. Should the receiver of the digital asset decide to (re)share the protected digital assets with unauthorized receivers, the container program notifies the asset’s owner and gives them the option to either grant or deny access to the previously unauthorized subjects. In this paper, we outline the key features and properties of the proposed Data-Leashing approach.