Massive data leaks & piercing privacy invasions are in the news regularly these days. On the other hand, we rarely get to read about a company that has built software to preserve their clients personal data.
Canopy, founded by Brian Whitman, previously the CTO of Echo Nest(which he subsequently sold to Spotify), has developed an algorithm that ensures that hackers will never be able to steal the personal information their users entrust to them.
Canopy understands that despite user complaints, consumers actually want apps that offer them personal recommendations. They want Content curated specifically for their preferences, but personalization usually comes at a cost to privacy. Yes, all of us are drawn to songs or news reports that are generated by applications, based on what we prefer hearing & reading, but this means that apps need to store personal data that they can use to set up this type of content for us. Once personal information is stored on a server it becomes attractive to hackers, who can sell this data to criminals or shady businesses who want to sell products to you, based on your preferences.
The startup has released its 1st first discovery app called Tonic, based on a unique algorithm. The app pulls Content from the Net for users to read based on their preferences. However, Tonic does not send user information to a server, the data remains on a user’s device & is therefore unavailable to hackers.
Additionally, users are not required to set up a personal account. Tonic works on a different system. Instead of working with exact user profiles, the app creates a general profile based on what a pool of users like, all sharing similarities with you. They use these rules to present Content, but if they get it wrong, users can click a button to demonstrate their dislike. Then the app uses this information to improve its service.
The startup also offers limited articles rather than an endless news feed.
The fledgling app is a demonstration of the power of Canopy’s algorithm, which it calls a ‘private content recommendation system’. The aim is to show the world what Canopy can achieve, & how safe is the app.
The idea is to offer their system to other apps so that privacy invasion becomes an issue of our archaic past. Recently, the startup raised over US $4.5 million in funding, which will be used for its growth.
Image Credit: Canopy
