Scheduling with Privacy

As part of our work on the DARPA Brandeis program, we applied our MPC backend solution to a software application that allows users to compare their schedules to find a good time to meet, similar to a Doodle poll or a shared calendar.  However, unlike existing scheduling tools, the novelty of this app is that each user’s input data – in this case an individual user’s schedule – is hidden from all other participants.  Instead, the only output that any participant learns is the optimal meeting date and time, which is computed via MPC between the participants, allowing users to find mutually convenient meeting times with friends, coworkers, or collaborators without requiring anyone to reveal their personal schedules.

This work was supported by DARPA and NIWC Pacific under Contract No. N66001-15-C-4065, Distribution Statement A: “Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited. If you have any questions, please contact the Public Release Center”. The views, opinions and/or findings expressed are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.