Method and system for implementing privacy policy enforcement with a privacy proxy

An apparatus for processing data in accordance with a privacy policy within a data processing system, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving, at a proxy, a first message from a first system to a second system;
• means for determining, in response to a determination at the proxy that the first message is associated with an operation on personally identifiable information, at the proxy whether the operation on the personally identifiable information is compliant with a privacy policy and with user preference information with respect to the privacy policy for a user who is associated the personally identifiable information;
• and
• means for sending, in response to a determination that the operation on the personally identifiable information is compliant with a privacy policy and with user preference information with respect to the privacy policy, the first message from the proxy to the second system.

A computer program product on a computer readable medium for processing data in accordance with a privacy policy within a data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

• means for receiving, at a proxy, a first message from a first system to a second system;
• means for determining, in response to a determination at the proxy that the first message is associated with an operation on personally identifiable information, at the proxy whether the operation on the personally identifiable information is compliant with a privacy policy and with user preference information with respect to the privacy policy for a user who is associated the personally identifiable information;
• and
• means for sending, in response to a determination that the operation on the personally identifiable information is compliant with a privacy policy and with user preference information with respect to the privacy policy, the first message from the proxy to the second system.