Microsoft hopes to beef up online privacy with the acquisition of the U-Prove technology, the company announced on Thursday. U-Prove was developed by Stefan Brands at Credentica as technology that allows Internet users to disclose only the minimum amount of personal information when conducting electronic transactions as a way to reduce the likelihood of privacy violations. U-Prove also employs cryptography to prevent systems from pulling together information about users from various sources.
Microsoft did not disclose a purchase price for the technology. Brands has joined Microsoft"s Identity and Access Group along with his colleagues from Credentica, Greg Thompson and Christian Paquin.