Patent ID: 8185932

Claim:
A system for controlling access to a data store of user-specific information in a network computing environment being accessed by a client and a user, the system comprising: a web-services system providing a software service to the user, said web-services system maintaining the data store of user-specific information in connection with the software service; a data store of default access preferences, said default access preferences defining a list of predetermined access permissions allowed by the user with respect to the data store of user-specific information, the client desiring access to the data store of user-specific information and transmitting an access request message having a parameter indicative of a desired form of access to the data store of user-specific information; an access control interface associated with the web-services system, said access control interface receiving the access request message and comparing the desired form of access to an access control list associated with the software service, said access control list identifying whether the user has been granted the desired form of access requested by the client; an access control engine determining an intended use by the client of the user-specific information in the data store of user-specific information, said access control engine also determining a default access preference defining a list of default access permissions to the data store of user-specific information that the user has allowed, the access control engine comparing the determined intended use and the default access permissions and dynamically creating an access control rule granting the desired form of access of the client if the intended use is permitted by the default access permissions; and a consent engine generating an option list in response to the access request having at least one entry in the option list based on the intended use by the client of the user-specific information in the data store, said consent engine displaying on the access control interface an option menu reflecting the generated option list, said option menu prompting the user to accept or reject at least one option displayed on the option menu using a selection interface of a network communication device.