Relevant Media Patents Privacy Solutions for Social Networks
Dublin startup RelevantM is the brainchild of Niall Larkin and Dawn Reilly who met while researching their PhDs. They’ve developed an innovative solution to the problem of online privacy and are in the process of filing patents. With the growth of social networking sites such as Facebook , privacy is often the critical factor which determines whether it is a positive experience for users. However RelevantM say the conventional approach to online privacy is flawed, in that it is “a technological approach to solve a sociological problem”. They’ve taken a different approach, one they describe as “socially informed”. Niall’s background is in complexity science and game theory, and Dawn is an engineer. They developed their idea with social networks in mind, and they continue to be surprised that no-one else has thought of it! In fact, they claim that not only does their invention solve the privacy problem, it also gives answers to the related questions of identity, reputation and trust online. Dawn and Niall couldn’t tell us the details of their approach. “Our patent agents would kill us!” They’ve filed for 6 patents in total, and when those are secure they intend to approach social networking companies like Facebook to explain their technology. RelevantM has been largely self-funded to date, with support from Dublin City Enterprise Board , Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and the M50 Platform programme . Not surprisingly they are planning to go on the Paddy’s Valley tour in December . No doubt they’ll be dropping in to see Facebook in Palo Alto!
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Tags: complex adaptive systems, dawn reilly, identity, niall larkin, nialllarkin, online, patent, privacy, reputation, social networks, social web, trust