Privacy scout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12450384-B2
Application number	US-202217874978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2022
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses may assist a consumer in keeping to their preferred privacy preferences when making a purchase online. Differences between the privacy policy of a vender and the privacy preferences of the consumer may be output for display to the consumer, along with alternative vendor recommendations, including vendors having privacy policies more closely match with the privacy preferences of the consumer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive a content request identifying an entity and content provided by the entity;
compare one or more privacy preferences of a user associated with the content request and a privacy policy of the entity; and
based on a determination that the privacy policy is not compatible with the one or more privacy preferences, cause a computing device associated with the user to display a graphical user interface that simultaneously depicts a plurality of graphical representations, each graphical representation of the plurality of graphical representations being associated with a particular alternate entity of one or more alternate entities and a particular privacy category of one or more different privacy categories, wherein the plurality of graphical representations are arranged along respective axes corresponding to the one or more different privacy categories, wherein a position of each graphical representation along its respective axis indicates a relative compatibility between a corresponding privacy preference of the user and a corresponding privacy policy of a corresponding alternate entity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the content request comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and wherein the entity comprises a website identified by the URL.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:
after causing the computing device to display the graphical user interface, receive a second request comprising a request for content provided by an alternate entity of the one or more alternate entities; and
send the second request to the alternate entity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the one or more alternate entities.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the one or more alternate entities by causing the apparatus to:
retrieve, from storage, indications of the one or more alternate entities, wherein the storage comprises an association between the entity and the one or more alternate entities.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more different privacy categories comprises a data collected category, a data sharing category, an opt in/out category, and a data deletion category.

7. A method comprising:
receiving a content request identifying an entity and content provided by the entity;
comparing one or more privacy preferences of a user associated with the content request and a privacy policy of the entity; and
based on a determination that the privacy policy is not compatible with the one or more privacy preferences, causing a computing device associated with the user to display a graphical user interface that simultaneously depicts a plurality of graphical representations, each graphical representation of the plurality of graphical representations being associated with a particular alternate entity of one or more alternate entities and a particular privacy category of one or more different privacy categories, wherein the plurality of graphical representations are arranged along respective axes corresponding to the one or more different privacy categories, wherein a position of each graphical representation along its respective axis indicates a relative compatibility between a corresponding privacy preference of the user and a corresponding privacy policy of a corresponding alternate entity.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the content request comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and wherein the entity comprises a website identified by the URL.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
after causing the computing device to display the graphical user interface, receiving a second request comprising a request for content provided by an alternate entity of the one or more alternate entities; and
sending the second request to the alternate entity.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining the one or more alternate entities.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the one or more alternate entities further comprises:
retrieving, from storage, indications of the one or more alternate entities, wherein the storage comprises an association between the entity and the one or more alternate entities.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more different privacy categories comprises a data collected category, a data sharing category, an opt in/out category, and a data deletion category.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
receive a content request identifying an entity and content provided by the entity;
compare one or more privacy preference of a user associated with the content request and a privacy policy of the entity; and
based on a determination that the privacy policy is not compatible with the one or more privacy preferences, cause a second computing device associated with the user to display a graphical user interface that simultaneously depicts a plurality of graphical representations, each graphical representation of the plurality of graphical representations being associated with a particular alternate entity of one or more alternate entities and a particular privacy category of one or more different privacy categories, wherein the plurality of graphical representations are arranged along respective axes corresponding to the one or more different privacy categories, wherein a position of each graphical representation along its respective axis indicates a relative compatibility between a corresponding privacy preference of the user and a corresponding privacy policy of a corresponding alternate entity.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the content request comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and wherein the entity comprises a website identified by the URL.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , storing further instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to:
after causing the second computing device to display the graphical user interface, receive a second request comprising a request for content provided by an alternate entity of the one or more alternate entities; and
send the second request to the alternate entity.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , storing further instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to determine the one or more alternate entities.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , storing further instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to determine the one or more alternate entities by causing the computing device to:
retrieve, from storage, indications of the one or more alternate entities, wherein the storage comprises an association between the entity and the one or more alternate entities.

Assignees

• Allstate Insurance Co

Inventors

• Parkinson John
• De Guia Nicolette
• Striebich Margaret K

Classifications

• G06F9/5072

  Grid computing · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title

• G06F9/5055

  considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine · CPC title

• G06F21/6245 Primary

  Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes · CPC title