Option contracts for a privacy-aware market

Abstract: Suppliers (including companies and individual prosumers) may wish to protect their private information when selling items they have in stock. A market is envisaged where private information can be protected through the use of differential privacy and option contracts, while privacy-aware suppliers deliver their stock at a reduced price. In such a marketplace a broker acts as intermediary between privacy-aware suppliers and end customers, providing the extra items possibly needed to fully meet the customers' demand, while end customers book the items they need through an option contract. All stakeholders may benefit from such a marketplace. A formula is provided for the option price, and a budget equation is set for the mechanism to be profitable for the broker/producer.