Patent ID: 7917589
Filing Date: 2011-03-29
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving an instant message at a recipient client device from a sender, wherein the instant message comprises data and a privacy indication that specifies whether the data is private, and an override indication that specifies whether the privacy indication is allowed to be overridden; determining, at the recipient client device, whether to present a privacy notice at the recipient client device based on the privacy indication and the override indication, wherein the determining further comprises deciding to present the data if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device at the recipient client device received a most recent user input is less than a threshold amount of time, wherein the time period was received from a user interface at the user interface device at the recipient client device; presenting the data at the recipient client device and not presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the recipient client device received the most recent user input is less than the threshold amount of time; and presenting the privacy notice at the recipient client device and hiding the data from presentation at the recipient client device if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and the time period since the user interface device at the recipient client device received the most recent user input is greater than the threshold amount of time, wherein the privacy notice explains that the data that is hidden is private.