User-specified sharing of data via policy and/or inference from a hierarchical cryptographic store

A computer implemented method for constructing a hierarchical set of decryption keys for facilitating privacy-centric data storage with diverse accessibility, comprising:

• receiving from a user information associated with a root key;
• employing a processor creating a set of cryptographic decryption keys derived from the root key, each decryption key included in the set of cryptographic decryption keys conforms to a hierarchy describing or defining encrypted data associated with the user;
• and
• configuring decryption capabilities for a decryption key included in the set of cryptographic decryption keys based upon a location or assignment of the decryption key within the hierarchy.

A computer implemented method for securely hosting encrypted data associated with a user in a manner that facilitates user control and diverse accessibility, comprising:

• employing a server with a processor and a data store for hosting encrypted data associated with a user in the data store that is accessible by way of a network that is configured to be substantially publicly addressable, wherein the encrypted data conforms to a hierarchical scheme such that a portion of the encrypted data decryptable by a decryption key associated with the user is based upon a location or an assignment of the decryption key within a hierarchy of a set of decryption keys derived from a root key associated with the user;
• receiving a set of preferences from the user relating to at least entities authorized to obtain, access, or search the encrypted data or policies for how data is revealed to one or more entities;
• receiving a request from a user-authorized entity to access or search the encrypted data;
• and
• transmitting requested encrypted data to the user-authorized entity based upon the preferences.