usersto

Usersto is a term used in privacy engineering and information architecture to describe a directional model of interactions between individual users and the services they use. The concept frames relationships as flows from user to service, focusing on consent, data collection, and access rights within a system's data lifecycle.

Origin and usage: The term appears in theoretical discussions and early design documents as a neutral way to discuss user-centric data governance. It is not a formal standard and has no single agreed definition, but is used to compare how different platforms implement user consent and data sharing.

Model: In a typical usersto diagram, nodes represent users and services; edges represent actions such as giving consent, requesting data access, or revoking permissions. The model emphasizes the user's control points and the traceability of data flows, enabling audits and policy evaluation.

Applications: Researchers and practitioners use usersto to analyze privacy-by-design strategies, report on data flows, and evaluate compliance with regulations like GDPR or similar. It also informs the design of consent dashboards and data-access interfaces.

Limitations: Because usersto is an informal concept rather than a standardized formalism, interpretations vary and there is no universal taxonomy. It remains primarily a descriptive tool in theoretical discussions and early-stage design work.