Method and system for distributed control of user privacy preferences

A system and method for managing user data preferences across multiple online sites and applications. A privacy center can be configured to include a user interface and an application programming interface (API). The user interface can be employed to set preferences for specific data types in order to handle the data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data type by the user. The API permits a plurality of sites to discover user's preferences, field names, and categories of data recognized by the site. The API adds new data fields to accommodate future changes in both technology and in legal restrictions on data usage. An address with respect to the API and the user interface along with a token can be entered when installing an application and the application downloads the preferences and applies them based on requirement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments are generally related to data-processing systems. Embodiments are also related to social network enabled marketing, business-to-business services, and business-to-consumer services such as managing. Embodiments are additionally related to the distributed control of user privacy preferences.

BACKGROUND

The World Wide Web (the “web”) has transformed from a passive medium to an active medium where users take part in shaping the content they receive. One popular form of active content on the web is personalized content, wherein a provider employs certain characteristics of a particular user, such as their demographic or previous behaviors, to filter, select, or otherwise modify the content ultimately presented. This transition to active content raises serious concerns about privacy as arbitrary personal/private information may be required to enable personalized content, and a confluence of factors has made it difficult for users to control where this information ends up and how it is utilized.

One area of privacy concern is social media and increasingly related social media applications and web sites. Social media generally involves a large number of users who interact socially with one another via the Internet, and allows users to freely express and share opinions with other users via social networking applications. Social networking sites and mobile communication applications collect demographic information such as, for example, address, age and income; identifiers such as name, credit card number, social security number, email address, and photographs via a facial recognition software. In addition to these discrete data points, many applications collect information regarding user behavior, user support (or “like”), and user communication details. Such information is bought, sold, traded, aggregated, and analyzed for marketing and other purposes and also frequently leaked to unintended people and organizations.

As organizations, businesses, and companies expand services offerings through services, common issues of privacy are also gaining prominence. For example, many applications create a data analysis platform that can work with client's customer data and utilize social media type connections and reputation computations to facilitate business-to-business operations. The majority of prior art approaches for controlling user data privacy are complicated and confusing, and may even change with little or no warning. Such approaches do not monitor each site with respect to changes in their privacy policies and settings and do not make adjustments to each site and each setting on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, manual methods of maintaining privacy are time consuming and error prone. Unintended leakage of personal data to potentially unfriendly applications and users is therefore extremely difficult to prevent.

Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved system and method for managing user privacy across multiple online sites and applications and sharing data smoothly while maintaining security, as will be described in greater detail herein.

SUMMARY

It is, therefore, one aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for an improved data-processing method and system.

It is another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for improved methods and systems for social network enabled marketing, business-to-business services, and business-to-consumer services.

It is further aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for an improved method and system for managing user data across multiple online sites and applications and smoothly and securely sharing the data.

The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. A system and method for managing user data across multiple online sites and applications is disclosed herein. A privacy center can be configured to include a user interface and an API (Application Programming Interface). The user interface can be employed to set preferences for specific data types in order to handle the data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data type by the user. The API permits one or more “sites” to discover a user's preferences, field names, and categories of data recognized by the site. The API adds new data fields to accommodate future changes in both technology and in legal restrictions on data usage. An address with respect to the API and the user interface along with a token can be entered when installing an application (e.g., social application, mobile application, service site) and the application downloads the preferences and applies them based on a requirement. Such an approach can provide consistency while increasing privacy by reducing opportunities for leakage and enabling sites to determine an appropriate security control required to satisfy a customer requirement (or requirements).

The user interface can be presented as an integral component of a website and/or as part of a standalone system. The interface presents the user with a list of types of private data and possible privacy settings. The specific data types are not associated preferences. The data types can be connected to normalized data type names and a list of generic data type names can be maintained. The data types can be linked to specific implementations to permit communication with different types of sites and languages associated with the site. The user sets preferences for different categories of data usage such as, for example, personal data fields, behavioral data, user comments, photos and videos uploaded, and items shared with other users. Each category includes a screen or menu tab on the user interface for configuring requirements and different types of settings than another category.

The web-based API (e.g., REST or SOAP) allows the privacy preferences to be discoverable by other sites and applications via a number of different approaches. An “all preferences” service approach can return a list of key value pairs with each key being a field type name and a value being a privacy level the user set for that field. The field preference approach returns the privacy preference for the name of a data field (e.g., primary_email). The public fields approach returns a list of key value pairs for the given user in which the key is the field type name and the value is the actual data the user has designated for public consumption. The category preferences approach returns a list of key value pairs for the given category in which the key is the data type name and the value is the privacy level with regard to elements within the category.

The field names approach returns a list of key value pairs with each key being the name of a data field and the value being an array of aliases for that field. Optionally, a field name can be supplied and a single key-value pair that matches can be returned. An optional category name can restrict results to that particular category. The add field approach expects the field name. Other data that may be supplied include an alias that is known to be in the database.

Each API approach can be supplied with a unique user identifier. A token can be provided to each user either as a parameter or as part of the URL. The optional platform identifier (e.g., such as Wordpress, Contineo, etc.) can be provided so that the field name can be associated with that data type category to adapt to changing technologies and to accommodate changing needs of both businesses and users. The field name approach and the add field approach does not require the unique user identifier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention can be embodied as a method, data processing system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entire hardware embodiment, an entire software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects all generally referred to herein as a “circuit” or “module.” Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium. Any suitable computer readable medium may be utilized including hard disks, USB Flash Drives, DVDs, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, etc.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in an object oriented programming language (e.g., Java, C++, etc.). The computer program code, however, for carrying out operations of the present invention may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages such as the “C” programming language or in a visually oriented programming environment such as, for example, Visual Basic.

The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to a user's computer through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), wireless data network e.g., WiFi, Wimax, 802.xx, and cellular network or the connection may be made to an external computer via most third party supported networks (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the context of a data-processing system100that includes, for example, a system bus110, a processor101(e.g., a microprocessor and/or other processing components), a main memory102, an input/output controller103, an input device104(e.g., a keyboard, pointing device, touchscreen interface, etc.), a display device106, and mass storage107(e.g., a hard disk). In some embodiments, for example, a USB peripheral connection (not shown inFIG. 1) and/or other hardward components may also be in electrical communication with the system bus110and components thereof. As illustrated, the various components of data-processing system100can communicate electronically through the system bus110or a similar architecture. The system bus110may be, for example, a subsystem that transfers data between, for example, computer components within data-processing system100or to and from other data-processing devices, components, computers, etc.

FIG. 2illustrates a computer software system150for directing the operation of the data-processing system100depicted inFIG. 1. Software application154, stored in main memory102and on mass storage107, generally includes a kernel or operating system151and a shell or interface153. One or more application programs, such as software application154, may be “loaded” (i.e., transferred from mass storage107into the main memory102) for execution by the data-processing system100. The data-processing system100receives user commands and data through user interface153; these inputs may then be acted upon by the data-processing system100in accordance with instructions from operating system module151and/or software application154.

The following discussion is intended to provide a brief, general description of suitable computing environments in which the system and method may be implemented. Although not required, the disclosed embodiments will be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions such as program modules being executed by a single computer. In most instances, a “module” constitutes a software application.

The interface153, which is preferably a graphical user interface (GUI), also serves to display results, whereupon the user149may supply additional inputs or terminate the session. In an embodiment, operating system151and interface153can be implemented in the context of a “Windows” system. It can be appreciated, of course, that other types of systems are possible. For example, rather than a traditional “Windows” system, other operation systems such as, for example, Linux may also be employed with respect to operating system151and interface153. The software application154can include a user data privacy management module152for managing user data. Software application154, on the other hand, can include instructions such as the various operations described herein with respect to the various components and modules described herein such as, for example, the method500depicted inFIG. 5.

FIGS. 1-2are thus intended as examples and not as architectural limitations of disclosed embodiments. Additionally, such embodiments are not limited to any particular application or computing or data-processing environment. Instead, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed approach may be advantageously applied to a variety of systems and application software. Moreover, the disclosed embodiments can be embodied on a variety of different computing platforms including Macintosh, UNIX, LINUX, and the like.

FIG. 3illustrates a block diagram of a user data privacy management system300for managing user data, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. Note that inFIGS. 1-5, identical or similar blocks are generally indicated by identical reference numerals. The system300generally can include a server324configured with a privacy center302connected to a network350. The privacy center302can be configured to include a privacy configuration unit304and an application programming interface310. The privacy configuration unit304configures a user interface334on an application332(e.g., social application, mobile application, service site, etc.) by entering an address with respect to the application programming interface310and the user interface334along with a token388when installing the application332and the application332downloads the preferences and applies them based on a requirement (or requirements).

Other devices that may communicate with network350and hence the server324, the privacy center302, and social network website332include, for example, a laptop computer331, a pad computing device333, a Smartphone335, and so forth. Note that although a single application or site332is depicted inFIG. 3, it can be appreciated that multiple sites can communicate and interact with the privacy center300via the network350(e.g., the Internet) along with client devices such as devices331,333,335,100, etc.

Note that the network350may employ any network topology, transmission medium, or network protocol. The network350may include connections such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables. Network350can also be an Internet representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers consisting of thousands of commercial, government, educational, and other computer systems that route data and messages.

The user interface334can be configured to set preferences for specific data types for special handling with a different level of privacy than other data of similar type by the user330. For example, the user330might enter their work email address and associate it with a generic email type and specify it as having public (or open) visibility, while all other emails are set to private. In this case, email fields in general can still retain the user330specified default setting (e.g., private) while instances of the work email address can be automatically set to public. The data types includes personal data fields such as name, address and phone number, behavioral data such as pages viewed, items bought, and connections with other users (friend links), comments that people make, photos and videos uploaded, and items “shared” with other users.

The user interface334can be presented as an integral component of a website or as a part of a standalone system. The interface334presents the user330with a list of types of private data306and possible privacy settings308. For example, as shown inFIG. 4, the user interface334includes common data fields such as name358, city336, street address356, email340, sex338, and phone number354. In addition, specific choices can made available to restrict access to this type of data. Note that the example shown inFIG. 4is oriented towards the data related to a particular user330. The user interface334may include additional fields and categories related to company information and the customer data that can be uploaded to the site for analysis. The data can be set to open352, personal346, privileged350, and private348.

The specific data is not associated with the preferences. For example, when the user330sets the visibility of email to privileged350, the setting applies to any and all email addresses (with exceptions noted below), not to any specific one. The data can be easily extended to types not shown such as newsfeed and connections (or friends). The privacy configuration unit304connects known data types to normalized data type names. For example, if a site contains a field for “primary email” and another has a field named “email 1”, the user330can set a visibility preference for “email” in order for the privacy center302to apply it to both sites. The privacy configuration unit304may maintain a list of generic data type names on a database328and also link data types to specific implementations. For example, Wordpress blogs might refer to a login and an email address, while all MediaWiki wikis might instead use user_email and user_name. The privacy configuration unit304permits communication with different types of sites to be implemented in the language those sites understand.

The user interface334provides users options for setting the preferences for the way these other categories of data may be used, just as easily as they can set the privacy preferences for the personal data. New categories can thus easily be created to accommodate future changes in technology, in business needs, and in legal restrictions on data usage. For example, each category may have its own screen or menu tab on the privacy center302for working with its requirements and even slightly different types of settings308than another category. For example, in the personal data category, there can be settings for whether data is allowed to be shared with friends and friends of friends, whereas in the “behavioral” category it can be more appropriate to set a preference for whether data can be sold to third parties.

The API310can be configured to permit a number of sites to discover user's preferences, field names, and categories of data recognized by the site. The web-based API310(e.g., REST or SOAP) includes a number of approaches. An all_preference approach312returns a list of key value pairs with each key being a field type name and the value being the privacy level the user330has set for that field. A field_preference approach314returns the privacy preference for the given name of a data field (e.g., primary_email). A public_fields316returns a list (which may be empty) of key value pairs for the given user330in which the key is the field type name and the value is the actual data the user330has designated for public consumption (such as a work email address). A category_preferences318returns a list of key value pairs in which the key is the data type name and the value is the privacy level with regard to elements within the category for given category name (for example, one of behavioral or “posts and uploads”).

Each method can be supplied with a unique user identifier. Each user330can be provided with the token388that supplied either as a parameter or as a part of the URL. Each method also accepts an optional platform identifier (such as Wordpress or Contineo). The site responds by using field names that the platform understands, if known. A field_names approach and an add_field approach does not require a user identifier. The field_names approach320returns a list of key value pairs with each key being the name of a data field (such as “email”) and the value being an array of aliases for that field (“primary_email”, “email_address”, “email 1”, etc.). Optionally, a field name can be supplied and the system can return a single key-value pair (as described above) that matches.

An optional category name can restrict results to that particular category. The add_field approach322expects a field name. Other data that may be supplied include an alias that is known to be in the database. A platform identifier (such as Wordpress or Contineo) may also be supplied, which can permit the site to associate that field name with that platform. An optional category may also be supplied so the field name can be associated with that data type category.

FIG. 5illustrates a high level flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of a method500for managing user data across multiple online sites and applications, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. It can be appreciated that the logical operational steps shown inFIG. 5can be implemented or provided via, for example, a module such as module154shown inFIG. 2and can be processed via a processor such as, for example, the processor101shown inFIG. 1.

Initially, as indicated at block510, the user interface334can be configured to set preferences for specific data types for special handling with a different level of privacy than other data of similar type by the user330. The API310can be configured to permit a number of sites to discover user's preferences, field names, and categories of data recognized by the site, as shown at block520. The API310adds new data fields to accommodate future changes in both technology and in legal restrictions on data usage, as illustrated at block530.

The address with respect to the API310and the user interface334along with the token388can be entered when installing the application (e.g., social application, mobile application, service site) and the application downloads the preferences and applies them based on a requirement (or requirements), as indicated at blocks540and550. Such an approach provides consistency and increases privacy by reducing opportunities for leakage while also enabling sites to determine the appropriate security controls needed to satisfy customer needs.

The interface334and API310combine to form a powerful platform for easing the burden on both users and businesses of sharing information safely and comfortably. Entering a single URL rather than configuring preferences for each of possibly dozens of applications provides consistency and improves ease of use. The personal data collected can expand to be more like the extensive collection and aggregation prevalent on the web. For example, social applications such as Facebook applications can also make use of the interface334to discover information users are willing to share, rather than requiring them to make those decisions again every time they consider using some new game or other application.

The privacy preferences can be configured with the services site (such as Contineo Crowd Sourcing, Scale Insight or Social Media Analytics) by entering the address of the privacy center302. The system300share and respect privacy settings308increase customer ease and satisfaction across the board. A sample code can also model the user interface334of the privacy center302. This type of code is especially useful for sites built on highly configurable and widely used technologies such as Drupal, Wordpress, and Mediawiki. Fully developed plug-ins can permit services or business partners using a wide variety of technologies to be fully integrated into, for example, a privacy centers ecosystem.

The system300improves the interaction between people and the web sites and applications with which they interact. The system300invites privacy settings308on various fields, without inviting for data itself. This increases privacy by reducing opportunities for leakage while also enabling sites to determine the appropriate security controls needed to satisfy customer needs. System300also promotes the abstraction of private data types and the movement of categories away from platform specific naming conventions and even away from specific pieces of data.

The system300can be created on an ad hoc basis by each site and application for its own specific needs. The ability to add new fields and new aliases for old fields reinforces the abstraction and permits it to adapt to changing platforms, services, and technologies. The use of a web API310allows discovery of privacy preferences without leakage of the data itself. This permits a level of interaction between sites and applications such as services sites (e.g., also referred to simply as “services”) that ease both the burden on users of monitoring their privacy while increasing increases their confidence in the services they use. The system300sets a level of protection for user private data and discovers those preferences, thereby improving the ability of services to protect a customer's information. The system300improves the ability of different sites to share users and provide such users with a seamless, comfortable, and secure experience for related services such as a “services” marketplace.

Based on the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a number of embodiments, preferred and alternative, are disclosed herein. For example, in one embodiment, a method can be implemented for managing data preferences. Such a method can include, for example, the steps or logical operations of designating a preference for a number of data types in order to handle the data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data types, assembling an application programming interface to permit one or more sites to discover, for example, a user preference, a field name, and a category of data recognizable by sites, and adding a new data field (and/or data thereof) to accommodate changes with respect to a technology and a legal restriction on data usage to provide consistency and increase privacy by reducing an opportunity for leakage of privacy data thereof.

In another embodiment, steps or logical operations can be implemented for entering an address with respect to the application programming interface and a user interface in association with a token when installing an application, and downloading and applying the preference with respect to the application based on a requirement (or requirements). In another embodiment a step or logical operation can be implemented for configuring the user interface as an integral component of a website and/or as a part of a standalone system.

In still other embodiments, steps or logical operations can be implemented for presenting a list of private data types and possible privacy settings via the user interface to thereafter connect the types to a normalized data type name, and maintaining a list of generic data type names and linking the data types to specific implementations to permit communication with different types of sites and languages associated with the site.

In other embodiments, the aforementioned specific data type is not associated with the preference. In some embodiments, the data types can be, for example, a personal data field, a behavioral data, a user comment, an uploaded photograph and video, or a shared item. In still other embodiments, a step or logical operation can be implemented for establishing a privacy preference discoverable by one or more sites and/or applications utilizing different approaches by the application programming interface.

In other embodiments, the aforementioned approaches can be, for example, an all preference approach that returns a list of key value pairs, with each key being a field type name and a value being a privacy level set for the field, a field preference approach that returns a privacy preference for name of a data field, or a public field approach that returns the list of key value pairs in which the key is the field type name and the value is an actual data that has been designated for a public consumption.

In yet another embodiment, a system for managing data preferences can be implemented. Such a system can include, for example, a processor, a data bus coupled to the processor, and a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium being coupled to the data bus. Such computer program code can include instructions executable by the processor and configured, for example, for designating a preference for a number of data types in order to handle the data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data types; assembling an application programming interface to permit one or more sites to discover at least a user preference, a field name, and a category of data recognizable by the sites; and adding new data field to accommodate changes with respect to a technology and a legal restriction on data usage to provide consistency and increase privacy by reducing an opportunity for leakage of privacy data thereof.

In still another embodiment, such instructions can be further configured for entering an address with respect to the application programming interface and a user interface in association with a token when installing an application, and downloading and applying the preference with respect to the application based on a requirement (or requirements). Note that the aforementioned user interface can be configured in some embodiments as an integral component of a website and/or as a part of a standalone system.

In still other embodiments, such instructions can be further configured for presenting a list of private data types and possible privacy settings via the user interface to thereafter connect the data types to a normalized data type name, and maintaining a list of generic data type names and linking the data types to specific implementations to permit communication with different types of sites and languages associated with the site. In still other embodiments, such instructions can be further configure for establishing a privacy preference discoverable by one or more sites and applications utilizing a variety of approaches by the application programming interface.

In still another embodiment, a processor-readable medium storing computer code representing instructions to cause a process for managing data preferences can be provided. Such computer code can include code to, for example, designate a preference for one or more data types in order to handle the data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data types; assemble an application programming interface to permit one or more sites to discover at least a user preference, a field name, and a category of data recognizable by the sites; and add new data field to accommodate changes with respect to a technology and a legal restriction on data usage to provide consistency and increase privacy by reducing an opportunity for leakage of privacy data thereof.

In other embodiments, such code can include code to enter an address with respect to the application programming interface and a user interface in association with a token when installing an application, and download and apply the preference with respect to the application based on a requirement (or requirements).

In another embodiment, such code can include code to present a list of private data types and possible privacy settings via the user interface to thereafter connect the data types to a normalized data type name, and maintain a list of generic data type names and linking the data types to specific implementations to permit communication with different types of sites and languages associated with the site.