two problems

1. Is it possible for a remote server to prove that the software it runs is what it claims to run to the client.

2. Is it possible for a piece of software to operate on encrypted content in such a way that the owner of the machine cannot know what the software is doing, and no information about the data being processed is exposed?

>>15
encrypted instruction sets come to mind, but i haven't really looked at how they work.. Probably just another feature for viruses..

Yeah, that just sounds like obfuscation to me. Unless of course the decryption of instructions is done at the hardware level, at a point on the chip that would be difficult to access without destroying it.. But that's more useful to DRM. I'm looking for a solution to 1 to make a server that can prove it acts in your interest. Maybe even give a boost to servers that can prove they run open source software. 2 is for using le cloud without giving le cloud owner all of your le data.

Maybe if the server's memory was completely open and observable (read only) through the network you'd have half a chance..? if All operations could be verified..

Yeah, that's the thing. Since you are getting this memory information from the server, how do you know the server isn't just running what it needs in order to report the correct information to you, while also running something else in background without your knowledge? Without ownership of the hardware, you can't know what has been installed.

>>16
Eh?