Apparatus and method for terminating an authorization to access a record in a blockchain ledger

An apparatus for controlling access by a third-party application to user information included in a blockchain, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• receive a record of authorization that includes the user information, and that is configured to authorize access by the third-party application to the user information for an access duration;
• and
• append the record of authorization to the blockchain.

A method of controlling access by a third-party application to user information included in an authorization record in a blockchain ledger, the method comprising:

• enabling a selection of an access duration from among a plurality of access durations, wherein each access duration is implemented by an authorization group of nodes having a current group key that comprises a public/private key pair, wherein the current group key corresponds to one of:
• 1) a valid group key at or near the start of the access duration that is configured to decrypt a message in the authorization record that includes the user information, and 2) an incompatible group key at or after the end of the access duration that is not configured to decrypt the message in the authorization record that includes the user information;
• and
• during an attempted access to user information by a third-party application, providing the current group key of the authorization group that implements the selected access duration to the third-party application.