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There are few existing techniques available for preserving the location privacy that can
also be useful in the context of location privacy protection in 5G applications/technology.
Common methods used to protect the location privacy of the user may include anonymization, pseudonym change and path perturbation [8]. Regulatory approaches are also
needed, so that strong rules, regulations and legislation can be designed for proper usage
of the network, putting the awareness over of the specification of internet and network
security [9]. Encryption‐based techniques are among other available ways to protect the
user’s location privacy. The message is encrypted by the user before sending it to the LBS
provider. Once the message is received by the LBS provider, it will be decrypted. This
approach includes relatively more intensity of anonymity, but it has high computational
and communication costs, which is one of the disadvantages of using this approach [9].
Anonymity‐based approaches hide the user’s real identity and replace it with pseudonyms. In this case, a trusted middleware is used to generate the fake information (being
the pseudonym), which is then sent to the LBS provider for particular location service.
There is also another approach, in which the quality of user location information
downgrades in order to preserve the location privacy; this is known as obfuscation. For
example, one spatial cloaking‐based technique is formulated that enlarges the location
point of the user to a region called ASR which contains the location of the user, where a
typical k‐anonymity technique is mostly utilized. Then the trusted third party sends the
ASR to the LBS provider to complete the LBS query. And finally, some privacy policy‐
based approaches are required to ensure that it can restrict the misuse of location information in certain ways, for example, by protecting the user privacy through information
retrieval methods [9].
12.3.3 Identity Privacy
While acquiring digital services on certain occasions, consumers do not want to reveal
their original identity to other users or to service providers. For example, when asking
any queries online or giving feedback on the website of companies, users prefer to
remain anonymous. In some situations, users might use temporary or fake identities
and discard them when the required task is completed. Knowledge of permanent identity of a user may permit an adversary to track and amass comprehensive profiles about
individuals. The trend of stealing online identities is more common nowadays. There
are numerous online applications such as shopping and banking that would require
online ways of payment through credit cards. This information may lead to revealing
the real identity and can cause possible risks to the user’s privacy. Usually, anonymity‐
based approaches are used to hide the real identity. Identity privacy can be further
divided into subscriber and device identity privacy:
● Subscriber Identity Privacy: In this case, threats can arise when users are tracked or
monitored by the subscriber’s identifier or may be through a temporary identifier.
Users also generally do not want any kind of linkage/connection between their subscriber’s identity and device identity. The possible solution to protect the subscriber’s
identity privacy would be through encryption of the IMSI and usage of enhanced
pseudo‐identifier. In order to guarantee the unlinkability of the subscriber and device
identifier, an anonymization system might be one of the potential approaches to consider [10].
272
There are few existing techniques available for preserving the location privacy that can
also be useful in the context of location privacy protection in 5G applications/technology.
Common methods used to protect the location privacy of the user may include anonymization, pseudonym change and path perturbation [8]. Regulatory approaches are also
needed, so that strong rules, regulations and legislation can be designed for proper usage
of the network, putting the awareness over of the specification of internet and network
security [9]. Encryption‐based techniques are among other available ways to protect the
user’s location privacy. The message is encrypted by the user before sending it to the LBS
provider. Once the message is received by the LBS provider, it will be decrypted. This
approach includes relatively more intensity of anonymity, but it has high computational
and communication costs, which is one of the disadvantages of using this approach [9].
Anonymity‐based approaches hide the user’s real identity and replace it with pseudonyms. In this case, a trusted middleware is used to generate the fake information (being
the pseudonym), which is then sent to the LBS provider for particular location service.
There is also another approach, in which the quality of user location information
downgrades in order to preserve the location privacy; this is known as obfuscation. For
example, one spatial cloaking‐based technique is formulated that enlarges the location
point of the user to a region called ASR which contains the location of the user, where a
typical k‐anonymity technique is mostly utilized. Then the trusted third party sends the
ASR to the LBS provider to complete the LBS query. And finally, some privacy policy‐
based approaches are required to ensure that it can restrict the misuse of location information in certain ways, for example, by protecting the user privacy through information
retrieval methods [9].
12.3.3 Identity Privacy
While acquiring digital services on certain occasions, consumers do not want to reveal
their original identity to other users or to service providers. For example, when asking
any queries online or giving feedback on the website of companies, users prefer to
remain anonymous. In some situations, users might use temporary or fake identities
and discard them when the required task is completed. Knowledge of permanent identity of a user may permit an adversary to track and amass comprehensive profiles about
individuals. The trend of stealing online identities is more common nowadays. There
are numerous online applications such as shopping and banking that would require
online ways of payment through credit cards. This information may lead to revealing
the real identity and can cause possible risks to the user’s privacy. Usually, anonymity‐
based approaches are used to hide the real identity. Identity privacy can be further
divided into subscriber and device identity privacy:
● Subscriber Identity Privacy: In this case, threats can arise when users are tracked or
monitored by the subscriber’s identifier or may be through a temporary identifier.
Users also generally do not want any kind of linkage/connection between their subscriber’s identity and device identity. The possible solution to protect the subscriber’s
identity privacy would be through encryption of the IMSI and usage of enhanced
pseudo‐identifier. In order to guarantee the unlinkability of the subscriber and device
identifier, an anonymization system might be one of the potential approaches to consider [10].