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‎build_iapp/iapp-generator/what-is-iapp.md‎

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---
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title: What Is an iApp?
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description: Privacy-first applications that run on decentralized infrastructure
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---
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# 🚀 What Is an iApp?
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**Think about code, but it runs in a privacy-safe environment.** An iApp is just your regular application code (Python script, AI model, data processor) packaged to run inside secure enclaves.
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## Why Would You Want This?
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Simple: **to process sensitive data that users won't normally share.**
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Imagine you want to build:
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- An AI that analyzes personal health data
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- An email tool that needs access to contact lists
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- A financial advisor that processes bank statements
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- A content filter that reads private messages
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Users have this data, but they won't give it to your regular app. **With iApps, they will.**
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## How It Works
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Your code runs in a **trusted execution environment** (TEE) - think of it as a "privacy bubble" that even iExec workers can't peek into.
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Users run your iApp when they want to **use** their Protected Data for something. Your code gets access to their protected data, performs actions with it - all without you ever seeing the raw data.
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## iApp Generator: Your Development Tool
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Creating iApps used to be complex. **iApp Generator** simplifies this by:
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- **Simulating TEE environment locally** - Test your code in conditions close to real execution
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- **Handling deployment** - Package and deploy with simple commands
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- **Managing dependencies** - Docker containers, environment setup, etc.
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```bash
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# Create your iApp (Python or Node.js supported)
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iapp init my-sentiment-analyzer
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cd my-sentiment-analyzer
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# Develop and test locally (simulates TEE environment)
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iapp test
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# Deploy to the network
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iapp deploy
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```
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*Note: iApp Generator currently supports Python and Node.js, but iApps can be built in any language that runs in Docker.*
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## Real Examples
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**Email Notification iApp**
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```python
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# User runs: "Send updates to my contacts about my project"
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contacts = load_protecteddata() # User's protected contact list
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for contact in contacts:
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send_email(contact, project_update_message)
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# → Emails sent directly, you never see the addresses
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```
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**Oracle Update iApp**
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```python
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# User runs: "Update price oracle with my private trading data"
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trading_data = load_protecteddata() # User's protected trading history
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average_price = calculate_weighted_average(trading_data)
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update_oracle_contract(average_price)
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# → Oracle updated with real data, trading history stays private
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```
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**Automated Transactions iApp**
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```python
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# User runs: "Buy tokens when my portfolio meets certain conditions"
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portfolio = load_protecteddata() # User's protected portfolio data
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if should_buy_tokens(portfolio):
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execute_trade(token_address, amount)
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# → Trade executed based on private data, portfolio details stay hidden
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```
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## The Trust Model
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Here's why users will actually use your iApp with their private data:
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### What Users See
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- ✅ "This code runs in a secure enclave, not on the developer's servers"
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- ✅ "My data gets used privately for actions I want"
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- ✅ "Even iExec workers can't see my data during execution"
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- ✅ "I can revoke access anytime"
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### What You Get
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- ✅ Users willing to use your services with their sensitive data
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- ✅ New business models around privacy-preserving analytics
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- ✅ Competitive advantage through privacy guarantees
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### The Technical Reality
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```
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User's Private Data → Encrypted → TEE Environment → Your iApp uses it → Actions Performed
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```
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**Nobody sees the raw data except your code running inside the secure enclave.**
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Your iApp can send emails, update contracts, make transactions, trigger notifications - anything your code needs to do with the protected data. This isn't about trust - it's about **mathematical guarantees** that privacy is preserved.
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## What This Enables
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### 📧 **Private Communication**
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Users send emails, notifications, or messages using their protected contact lists without exposing recipient information.
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### 🔮 **Trustworthy Oracles**
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Users contribute real data to oracles while keeping their private information confidential.
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### 🤖 **Personal AI Assistants**
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Users let AI models perform actions based on their private data - trading, scheduling, recommendations.
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### ⚡ **Automated Actions**
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Users set up automated workflows that use their private data to trigger actions, transactions, or updates.
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## ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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::: details 📦 What can I build with iApps?
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Anything that runs in Docker! AI models, data processing scripts, web scrapers, image processing, financial calculations, etc. If it runs in a container, it can be an iApp.
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:::
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::: details ⚡ How fast are iApps?
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Initial task scheduling takes ~30 seconds (depending on the resources the worker download, congestion etc), then your code runs at normal speed depending on complexity.
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:::
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::: details 🛡️ Are iApps really secure?
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Yes! Code runs in Intel SGX or TDX secure enclaves. Even the worker running your iApp can't see what's happening inside the enclave.
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:::
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::: details 🚀 How do I deploy my first iApp?
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Try our [Hello World](/overview/helloWorld) for a quick start, or check the [iApp Generator](/build_iapp/iapp-generator) section for detailed instructions.
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:::
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::: details 🔧 What programming languages are supported?
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iApps can be built in any language that runs in Docker (Python, JavaScript, R, Java, Go, etc.). However, **iApp Generator** currently supports only Python and Node.js for simplified development.
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:::
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## Why This Changes Everything
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### ✅ **True Privacy**
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Users never expose their raw data. Your app processes it privately inside secure enclaves.
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### ✅ **Verifiable Execution**
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Cryptographic proof that your code ran exactly as intended. No black box execution.
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### ✅ **Decentralized Infrastructure**
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No single point of failure. Your app runs across a distributed network of workers.
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### ✅ **Zero Trust Architecture**
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Users don't need to trust you with their data. The protocol guarantees privacy.
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## Start Building
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Ready to build privacy-first applications?
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### 🚀 **Try iApp Generator**
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- [Getting Started](/build_iapp/iapp-generator/getting-started) - Deploy your first iApp in 15 minutes
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- [Building Your iExec App](/build_iapp/iapp-generator/building-your-iexec-app) - Complete development guide
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### 📖 **Learn with Guides**
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- [Orders](/build_iapp/guides/orders) - How iApp execution works
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- [Inputs and Outputs](/build_iapp/guides/inputs-and-outputs) - Handle data flow
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- [Debugging Your iApp](/build_iapp/guides/debugging-your-iapp) - Troubleshoot issues
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### 🎯 **See iApps in Action**
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Real iApps you can use today:
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- [Web3Mail](/use_iapp/web3mail) - Private emailing iApp SDK
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- [Web3Telegram](/use_iapp/web3telegram) Private messaging iApp SDK
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- [Oracle Factory](/use_iapp/oracle-factory) - Decentralized oracles
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---
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**TL;DR**: iApps = Your code + Secure execution + User privacy + Verifiable results. Cloud computing, but nobody can spy on your stuff. 🔒

‎manage_data/dataProtector/what-is-protected-data.md‎

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---
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title: What Is Protected Data?
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description: Understanding iExec's data protection mechanisms
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description: Data ownership meets privacy - understand how iExec gives you control
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---
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# ❓ What Is Protected Data?
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# 🛡️ What Is Protected Data?
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Protected Data is iExec's revolutionary approach to data privacy and ownership.
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It allows you to maintain control over your data while enabling computation on
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it without exposing the raw information.
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**Your data, but with superpowers.** Protected Data is how iExec gives you blockchain-verified ownership over your information. You control who uses it, for what purpose, and you can get paid when it creates value.
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## Key Concepts
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## The Problem
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### Data Ownership
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Traditional apps treat your data like their property. You upload it, they own it. You lose control, they make money from it.
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- **You own your data**: The original data never leaves your control
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- **Granular permissions**: Decide who can access and use your data
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- **Revocable access**: Grant and revoke permissions at any time
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## The Solution: Blockchain-Verified Ownership
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### Privacy-Preserving Computation
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Protected Data flips this model. Here's how you protect data:
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- **Encrypted processing**: Data is encrypted during computation
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- **TEE (Trusted Execution Environment)**: Secure enclaves protect data during
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processing
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- **Zero-knowledge**: Compute on data without revealing it
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```javascript
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const protectedData = await dataprotector.protectData({
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name: 'my-contacts.json',
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data: { emails: ['[email protected]', ...] }
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});
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```
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### Monetization
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Now you have **blockchain-verified ownership** of this data. No one can access it without your explicit permission.
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- **Data marketplaces**: Sell access to your protected data
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- **Usage tracking**: Monitor how your data is being used
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- **Fair compensation**: Get paid for data usage
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## Access Control That Actually Works
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## How It Works
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Traditional permissions: "This app can access your contacts" *(forever, for anything)*
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1. **Protect**: Encrypt and register your data on the iExec network
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2. **Share**: Grant access permissions to specific users or applications
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3. **Monitor**: Track usage and maintain control
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4. **Monetize**: Earn from your data while keeping it private
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Protected Data permissions: "This newsletter app can use my contacts to send marketing emails, but only during weekdays, and I get 2€ per campaign."
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## Use Cases
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```javascript
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await dataprotector.grantAccess({
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protectedData: protectedData.address,
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authorizedApp: '0x123...', // Specific app
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authorizedUser: '0xabc...', // Specific user
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// Plus pricing, time limits, usage rules...
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});
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```
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- **Personal Data**: Health records, financial data, personal preferences
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- **Business Intelligence**: Market research, customer analytics, proprietary
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datasets
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- **AI Training**: Training models without exposing sensitive data
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- **Research**: Collaborative research with privacy guarantees
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## Privacy-Safe Processing
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## Next Steps
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When apps use your Protected Data, they process it inside **secure enclaves** (TEEs). They get the results they need, but your raw data never leaves the privacy bubble.
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Ready to protect your data? Check out:
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### How the Technical Magic Works
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- [Getting Started with DataProtector](/manage_data/dataProtector/getting-started)
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- [DataProtector Guides](/manage_data/guides)
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Here's what actually happens under the hood:
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1. **Your data gets encrypted** and stored online (IPFS,Arweave..)
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2. **The decryption key** is stored in a secure TEE database
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3. **Only authorized TEE workers** can retrieve this key to process your data
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4. **Apps run inside these TEE workers** - they can decrypt and use your data, but only within the secure enclave
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5. **Results come back encrypted** to you - the raw data never leaves the TEE environment
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```
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Your Data (encrypted, online) + Decryption Key (in TEE database) = Processing (only in authorized TEEs)
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```
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This architecture ensures that even iExec workers can't access your raw data - only the TEE environment can decrypt it for processing, and only when you've authorized it.
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## What This Enables
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### 📧 **Privacy-First Email Marketing**
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Your users upload their contact lists as Protected Data. Your newsletter app can send personalized emails without ever seeing the actual email addresses. Users stay private, you get engagement.
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### 🤖 **Ethical AI Training**
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People contribute personal data (health records, preferences) as Protected Data. AI models can learn from this data without seeing individual information. Better AI, fair compensation, zero privacy trade-offs.
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### 🏢 **Confidential Business Intelligence**
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Companies protect their datasets but still collaborate on insights. Research partners get aggregate results without accessing raw competitive data. Innovation without information leaks.
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### 💰 **Data Monetization**
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Create marketplaces where data owners set their own terms. "Use my fitness data for $5/month, health insights only, no advertising." Automatic payments, programmable rules.
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## ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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::: details 💰 How much does it cost?
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It's **free**! No gas fees on iExec's Bellecour network. You just need a Web3 wallet to sign transactions.
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:::
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::: details 📏 What's the maximum dataset size?
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It depends on your use case context. For standard cases (contacts, small datasets), no problem. For large volumes, [contact us](https://iex.ec/contact/) so we can assess if it fits your needs.
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:::
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::: details 💸 Can I monetize my data?
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Yes! You can sell access to your Protected Data with flexible pricing, subscriptions, etc. See the [Manage Data Monetization](/manage_data/guides/manage-data-monetization) guide for all details.
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:::
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::: details 🚀 How do I get started?
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You need a Web3 wallet (MetaMask, WalletConnect) and Node.js 16+. Follow [DataProtector Core](/manage_data/dataProtector/dataProtectorCore) for installation and first examples.
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:::
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::: details 🔒 Is my data really secure?
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Yes! Your data is encrypted and keys are stored in secure TEE environments. Even iExec workers can't see your raw data - only the authorized TEE environment can decrypt it for processing.
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:::
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## Why This Changes Everything
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### ✅ **True Ownership**
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Your data is blockchain-verified yours. Not "terms & conditions" yours, actually yours.
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### ✅ **Privacy by Design**
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Apps get utility without compromising privacy. No more "privacy vs functionality" trade-offs.
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### ✅ **Programmable Control**
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Set complex rules: "Use my data only for health insights, only on weekdays, only if I get paid 5€."
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### ✅ **Composable Privacy**
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Any iApp can use your Protected Data (if authorized). Build privacy-first ecosystems.
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## Start Building
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Ready to give your users data ownership?
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### 🚀 **Try DataProtector**
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- [Getting Started](/manage_data/dataProtector/getting-started) - Protect your first dataset
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- [DataProtector Core](/manage_data/dataProtector/dataProtectorCore) - Full SDK reference
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- [DataProtector Sharing](/manage_data/dataProtector/dataProtectorSharing) - Monetization features
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### 📖 **Learn with Guides**
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- [Create and Share Access](/manage_data/guides/create-and-share-access) - Basic workflow
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- [Handle Schemas & Dataset Types](/manage_data/guides/handle-schemas-dataset-types) - Advanced data types
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- [Manage Data Monetization](/manage_data/guides/manage-data-monetization) - Get paid for your data
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### 🎯 **Use in iApps**
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Protected Data works with any iApp:
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- [Web3Mail](/use_iapp/web3mail) - Private email with contact protection
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- [Build your own iApp](/build_iapp/iapp-generator) - Custom privacy-first apps
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---
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_Protect your data, maintain control, and unlock its value with iExec's
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DataProtector._
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**TL;DR**: Protected Data = Your data + Your rules + Privacy guarantees. Finally, data ownership that actually works. 🔒

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