1. A method, including: maintaining at least one trust object linked to fields of a user profile, wherein the trust object holds audit trail fields that identify how data became incorporated in at least some fields of the user profile; and access control fields that specify field-by-field and party-by-party control over third party access to the fields of the user profile; providing a privacy controller, wherein the privacy controller provides user access to information in the audit trail fields for user's own user profile; and provides user control on a field-by-field and party-by-party basis over third party access to the fields of the user profile linked to the trust object; receiving instructions that set user's preferences for field-by-field and party-by-party control over the third party access to the user's own user profile; and updating the trust object responsive to the instructions.