Patent ID: 7305432

Claim:
A method for propagating a user's privacy preferences from a service to a browser comprising the steps of: a user signing up a service provider via a browser that does not have any privacy preferences; said service provider returning a set of default privacy preferences to said browser; said user accessing a service consumer site that is communicatively coupled to said service provider; said service provider sending the user via said service consumer site a user permission prompt for response; said user returning a permission response and responsive to said returned response, said service consumer site sending an indicator of said user's permission response to said service provider; responsive to said user's permission response, said user modifying a copy of said set of default privacy preferences on said service provider; and said service provider returning via said service consumer site said modified privacy preferences to said browser as a response such that said user has a single set of privacy preferences and such that said browser is updated with the modified privacy preferences; wherein said user's modified privacy preferences are enforced based on said service consumer's site's privacy policies by said service consumer site sending a service request to said service provider, and said service provider evaluating the user's modified privacy preferences against said service consumer site's privacy policies to determine whether said service request is allowed or not allowed.