Digital media privacy protection

Abstract

In one example of digital media privacy protection, a computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute operations including capturing at least one image file, obfuscating at least all facial images included in the captured image file, comparing all facial images included in the captured image file against a locally stored privacy policy, unobfuscating those of the facial images included in the captured image file for which the comparison against the locally stored privacy policy results in a positive match, and rendering the captured image file.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method to manage privacy, the method comprising:
 maintaining, by a server, a database of a plurality of facial images associated with one or more users, wherein the plurality of facial images includes a first facial image associated with a first user permission of a first user, wherein the first user permission indicates a condition to obfuscate facial images of the first user;   receiving, by the server, a digital image from a client device;   comparing, by the server, a second facial image in the digital image with the first facial image associated with the first user permission;   determining, by the server, based on the comparing, whether the second facial image needs to be obfuscated;   in response to a determination that the second facial image needs to be obfuscated, instructing, by the server, the client device to obfuscate the second facial image in the digital image; and   in response to a determination that the second facial image does not need to be obfuscated, instructing, by the server, the client device to not obfuscate the second facial image in the digital image.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the condition includes a location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the condition includes a time setting. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the condition includes one or more users for whom permission has been granted to access unobfuscated facial images of the first user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital image includes a photograph or a video file. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the client device is configured to perform at least one of storing, transferring, or sharing the digital image. 
     
     
         7 . A server, comprising:
 a server policy component configured to:
 maintain a database of a plurality of facial images associated with one or more users, wherein the plurality of facial images include a first facial image associated with a first user permission of a first user, wherein the first user permission indicates a condition to render facial images of the first user; 
 receive a digital image from a client device; 
 compare a second facial image in the digital image with the first facial image associated with the first user permission; 
 determine, based on the comparison, whether the second facial image can be rendered; 
 in response to a determination that the second facial image can be rendered, instruct the client device to render the second facial image in the digital image; and 
 in response to a determination that the second facial image cannot be rendered, instruct the client device to not render the second facial image in the digital image. 
   
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the instruction of the client device to render the second facial image in the digital image includes the server policy component being further configured to remove a restriction that prevents the digital image from being stored locally on the client device. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the instruction of the client device to render the second facial image in the digital image includes the server policy component being further configured to remove a restriction that prevents the digital image from being transmitted to another device. 
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the instruction of the client device to render the second facial image in the digital image includes the server policy component being further configured to remove a restriction that prevents the digital image from being uploaded to a cloud-based networking entity. 
     
     
         11 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the condition includes a location. 
     
     
         12 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the condition includes a time setting. 
     
     
         13 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the condition includes one or more users for whom permission has been granted to access unobfuscated facial images of the first user. 
     
     
         14 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the digital image includes a photograph or a video file. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to being executed, cause one or more processors to execute operations comprising:
 maintaining, by a server, a database of a plurality of facial images associated with one or more users, wherein the plurality of facial images includes a first facial image associated with a first user permission of a first user, wherein the first user permission indicates a condition to obfuscate facial images of the first user;   receiving, by the server, a digital image from a client device;   comparing, by the server, a second facial image in the digital image with the first facial image associated with the first user permission;   determining, by the server, based on the comparing, whether the second facial image needs to be obfuscated;   in response to a determination that the second facial image needs to be obfuscated, instructing, by the server, the client device to obfuscate the second facial image in the digital image; and   in response to a determination that the second facial image does not need to be obfuscated, instructing, by the server, the client device to not obfuscate the second facial image in the digital image.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the condition includes a location. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the condition includes a time setting. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the condition includes one or more users for whom permission has been granted to access unobfuscated facial images of the first user. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the digital image includes a photograph or a video file. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the client device is configured to perform at least one of storing, transferring, or sharing the digital image.