A lightweight privacy preserving SMS-based recommendation system for mobile users

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a fully decentralized approach for recommending new contacts in the social network of mobile phone users. With respect to existing solutions, our approach is characterized by some distinguishing features. In particular, the application we propose does not assume any centralized coordination: It transparently collects and processes user information that is accessible in any mobile phone, such as the log of calls, the list of contacts or the inbox/outbox of short messages and exchanges it with other users. This information is used to recommend new friendships to other users. Furthermore, the information needed to perform recommendation is collected and exchanged between users in a privacy preserving way. Finally, information necessary to implement the application is exchanged transparently and opportunistically, by using the residual space in standard short messages occasionally exchanged between users. As a consequence, we do not ask users to change their habits in using SMS.