UMaine Team Develops PriGen, a Groundbreaking Tool for App Privacy Compliance
A New Solution To Ultimate Privacy
A team of UMaine innovators has taken on the challenge of addressing privacy concerns and the protection of user information during the app development process through the Maine Innovation, Research, and Technology Accelerator (MIRTA) program with their new app, PriGen: Automated Privacy Generator.
PriGen is a tool designed to address growing challenges among app developers who often lack the resources or expertise to effectively navigate compliance with the many different privacy regulations required by app stores and expected by users. Using advanced machine learning, PriGen identifies how personal information is handled and incorporated within an app’s code by analyzing the code itself and generates clear compliance reports to adhere with privacy regulations and app store policies. PriGen was created to support developers from the initial stages of app design through post-development audits to ensure apps foster trust and protect user information.
The team responsible for PriGen’s development is led by UMaine associate professor of computer science, Sepideh Ghanavati, and consists of three other student members: Vijayanta Jain, Sara Haghighi, and Wilder Baldwin. This team is one of four welcomed into the 2024 cohort of the MIRTA Program.
In this day and age, privacy protections are both expected by users and required by several legal regulations and app store policies. These protections can include taking preventative measures to keep user’s personal information secure from potential threats or hackers and ensuring that the security of the application is less likely to be compromised to begin with. Tackling these privacy concerns without knowing what regulations require, what needs to be protected, or what measures can be taken to ensure compliance can be overwhelming, so PriGen is here to fix that!
MIRTA, a UMaine flagship program coordinated by UMaine’s Foster Center for Innovation, exists to develop and turn exciting research innovations into new marketable products to help boost Maine’s economy. Participating teams are provided with a 16-week intensive experience centered around market research, intellectual property analysis, and business model development. With support from the University of Maine System’s Research Reinvestment Fund and the Maine Technology Institute, the program equips teams with up to $25,000 and guidance from industry and technology experts. Eight new startups have been formed as a result of the MIRTA program, and anyone is welcome to apply with an eligible team.
Contact: Taylor Ward, taylor.ward@maine.edu