Techniques for enabling computing devices to identify when they are in proximity to one another

A method for enabling computing devices to exchange encryption keys with one another by way of a server computing device, the method comprising, at the server computing device:

• receiving, from a first computing device, a data item that includes:
• (i) a computing device identifier (ID) that is unique to the first computing device,
• (ii) a person identifier (ID) that is unique to an individual associated with the first computing device, and
• (iii) an encryption key that is associated with the first computing device;
• identifying, based one or more of the computing device ID or the person ID, at least one computing device that is relevant to the first computing device;
• and
• providing the data item to the at least one computing device, wherein the at least one computing device stores the encryption key as a known encryption key that is linked to the computing device ID and the person ID.

A method for enabling computing devices to directly exchange encryption keys with one another, the method comprising, at a first computing device:

• identifying a condition to enable a second computing device to be aware of when the first computing device is nearby the second computing device;
• providing, to the second computing device, a data item that includes:
• (i) a computing device identifier (ID) that is unique to the first computing device,
• (ii) a person identifier (ID) that is unique to an individual associated with the first computing device, and
• (iii) an encryption key that is associated with the first computing device;
• and
• periodically generating advertisement packets that include:
• (i) a network address that is associated with the first computing device, and
• (ii) a hash value that is calculated using the network address and the encryption key that is associated with the first computing device.