Increasing peer privacy

A method of increasing peer privacy in a computer network including peers operable to exchange information via the network, wherein the peers include computing platforms, the method comprising:

• receiving a message comprising a mix at a current peer, wherein the mix includes an anonymous identity of each of a plurality of peers in a path between a data provider and a data requestor in the network;
• modifring said mix by applying a complementary encryption key of said current peer to said mix;
• retrieving a subsequent peer to said current peer;
• modifying said message with said modified mix;
• and
• transmitting said modified message to said subsequent peer.

A system for increasing privacy in a computer network including peers operable to exchange information via the network, wherein the peers include computing platforms, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• memory coupled to said at least one processor;
• and
• a privacy module residing in said memory and said privacy module executed by said at least one processor, wherein said privacy module is configured to:
• receive a request for a data from a data requestor,
• determine whether a data provider exists that stores the requested data;
• wherein the data provider is a peer of the peers;
• select a plurality of the peers to form a path between said data provider and said data requestor, wherein said data provider and said data requestor are the respective ends of said path;
• generate a mix according to said path, wherein the mix includes an anonymous identity of each of the plurality of peers in the path;
• and
• transmit said mix to said data provider.

An apparatus for increasing privacy in a computer network including peers operable to exchange information via the network, wherein the peers include computing platforms, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• memory coupled to said at least one processor;
• and
• privacy module residing in said memory and said privacy module executed by said at least one processor, wherein said privacy module is configured to receive a message at said data provider, said message comprises:
• a mix configured to provide a path among a plurality of the peers between a data provider and a data requestor in the network, wherein the mix includes an anonymous identity of each of the plurality of peers in the path;
• an encrypted reference to requested data encrypted with a first encryption key;
• an encrypted first encryption key protected with a public key of said data requestor;
• and
• said privacy module is also configured to decrypt said first encryption key with a complementary encryption key to said public key of said data provider and to decrypt said data reference with said first encryption key.

A computer readable storage device on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method of increasing peer privacy in a computer network including peers operable to exchange information via the network, wherein the peers include computing platforms, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for:

• receiving a request for data from a data requestor;
• determining whether a data provider exists that stores the requested data;
• wherein the data provider is a peer of the peers;
• selecting a plurality of the peers to form a path between said data provider and said data requestor, wherein said data provider and said data requestor are the respective ends of said path;
• generating a mix according to said path, wherein the mix includes an anonymous identity of each of the plurality of peers in the path;
• and
• transmitting said mix to said data provider.