CERTIFIED ABSTRACTED AND ANONYMOUS USER PROFILES FOR RESTRICTED NETWORK SITE ACCESS AND STATISTICAL SOCIAL SURVEYS

摘要

An arrangement, system, and methods for creating and distributing authenticated personal information for users of network services and participants in social surveys, and in chat rooms and other forums. A trusted organization verifies that personal information presented by a user is correct, and authenticates the information in an encapsulated form as "certified profiles" within a smart card or other secure portable hardware device issued to the user. Certified profiles are authenticated by digital signatures of the trusted organization and the profile users. Personal information in certified profiles can be in raw and/or in statistically-processed and abstracted form, and can be tailored by the user for specific needs to include whatever personal information is required, and to exclude all other personal information. By the use of unique aliases, it is possible for users to anonymously access restricted network sites and participate in surveys, while still satisfying recipients that supplied personal information is accurate, and for surveys that the user has not responded to the same survey more than once. Users enroll for certified profiles via trusted enrollment vendors who market the service to the public and also make hardware and software available to users for managing, maintaining, and distributing the certified profiles.