Researchers from EPFL and UNIL have developed an encryption protocol that can put drivers in touch with passengers while keeping their personal data secret.

The apps created by Uber and its competitors put peers in touch with each other when one of them is looking for a ride. But the online platforms these companies have developed also collect users’ personal data – from passengers and drivers alike. Multiplied by millions of users each day, that comes out to be a goldmine of information, especially in the era of Big Data. Researchers from EPFL and the Faculty of Business and Economics at UNIL looked at how the same level of service could be achieved without disclosing users’ personal data. Their software, called ORide (O for oblivious), can be used to set up a ride where only the driver and passenger know the starting point, route and destination.

Source : EPFL