Patent ID: 7912971

Claim:
A method of controlling access to user specific information for use in a network computer system including a web-services provider, a user of a service provided by the web-services provider, and a client of the web-services provider controlled by the user, said method of controlling access to the user-specific information comprising: operatively receiving at the web-services provider a request from the client to access certain user-specific information in a data store of user-specific information associated with the user, wherein the web-services provider maintains the data store, said user specific information being accessible by the user and having access by the client controlled by the user, said client seeking access to the certain user-specific information in the data store; generating an intended use request by the client identifying an intended use by the client of the certain user-specific information in the data store; determining a set of default access preferences defining a list of default access permissions allowed by the user; comparing the intended use with the set of default access preferences and dynamically creating an access control rule when the intended use of the client of the certain user-specific information is within the list of default access permissions; invoking a consent engine in response to the client's request if the intended use is outside the list of default access permissions, said consent engine informing the user of the client's request to access the certain user-specific information in the data store and a reason why the client desires access to the certain user-specific information; said consent engine inviting the user to permit or to deny the client's request to access the certain user-specific information in the data store; and completing the request from the client to access the certain user-specific information in the data store when the generated intended use request by said client of the certain user-specific information is within the list of default access permission.