Relative Anonymity: Measuring Degrees of Anonymity in Diverse Computing Environment

In electronic communications today, multiple diverse connected devices are used, and messages and data are sent over heterogeneous networks. Devices and networks in these dynamic environments offer varying levels of security and privacy protections. The new models of usage require new more complex models to study and measure anonymity. Although anonymity of data has been subject to numerous studies, there is little research yet in establishing degrees of anonymity in complex electornic processes. This paper focuses on the relative nature of anonymity in electronic communications. We analyze the evolving concept of anonymity, discuss legal views on anonymity, connections of anonymity and data protection, and, finally, outline strategies for measuring anonymity from the user’s point of view, in environments with multiple and diverse interconnected nodes. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.