Policy-based privacy protection in converged communication networks

A method, comprising:

• performing, by a system including a processor, packet inspection on a data flow associated with a service request for a service related to a communication device in accordance with a privacy rule of a set of privacy rules, wherein the privacy rule specifies a defined level of packet inspection performed on the data flow;
• determining, by the system, whether a modification from the privacy rule to a different privacy rule of the set of privacy rules enables additional information to be provided to the communication device in response to the service request,
• wherein the different privacy rule facilitates a deeper level of packet inspection of the data flow than a defined level of packet inspection associated with the privacy rule, and the additional information is information other than a subset of information obtained as a result of inspection of the data flow based on the privacy rule,
• wherein the defined level of packet inspection comprises an inspection of a portion of the data flow comprising header information associated with the data flow, and
• wherein the deeper level of packet inspection comprises the inspection of the portion of the data flow and another portion of the data flow;
• and
• generating, by the system, a subset of service-related results that is customized based on at least the inspection of the portion of the data flow.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system including a processor to perform operations, comprising:

• facilitating a first transmission relating to a privacy rule to a network device to facilitate update of user privacy profile data associated with a communication device, wherein the privacy rule is selected from a set of available privacy rules in response to received selection input, and the privacy rule facilitates packet inspection of a data flow associated with a service to facilitate customization of service-related results to generate a set of service-related results based on the packet inspection performed on the data flow, the privacy rule relates to a defined level of the packet inspection to be performed on the data flow, and the defined level is identified from a set of packet inspection levels;
• facilitating a second transmission of a service request to access the service to the network device;
• facilitating presentation, via the communication device, of recommendation data representing a recommendation to modify the privacy rule to a different privacy rule of the set of available privacy rules in response to receiving the recommendation data,
• wherein the recommendation data is generated in response to a determination that modification from the privacy rule to the different privacy rule enables additional information to be provided in response to the service request,
• wherein the different privacy rule facilitates another level of packet inspection of the data flow than the privacy rule, the set of packet inspection levels comprising the other level of packet inspection,
• wherein the additional information is information other than a subset of information obtained as a result of an inspection of the data flow based on the privacy rule,
• wherein the defined level of packet inspection comprises a first inspection of header information associated with the data flow, and
• wherein the other level of packet inspection comprises the first inspection of the header information and a second inspection of a portion of the data flow other than the header information;
• and
• facilitating presentation, via the communication device, of the set of service-related results that is customized in response to the packet inspection of the data flow based on at least the first inspection.