Privacy scout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022366080-A1
Application number	US-202217874978-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 27, 2022
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2022
Grant date	—

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; 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 a 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 privacy preference, send a response defining representations for display of a plurality of alternate entities and a relative compatibility of corresponding privacy policies of the alternate entities with the privacy preference such that the representations of the alternate entities having greater compatibility are different than the representations of the alternate entities having lesser compatibility.

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 sending the response, 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.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the relative compatibility comprises an indication associated with each of a plurality of privacy categories.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of 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 a 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 privacy preference, sending a response defining representations for display of a plurality of alternate entities and a relative compatibility of corresponding privacy policies of the alternate entities with the privacy preference such that the representations of the alternate entities having greater compatibility are different than the representations of the alternate entities having lesser compatibility.

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 sending the response, 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 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 8 , wherein the relative compatibility comprises an indication associated with each of a plurality of privacy categories, and wherein the plurality of 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 a 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 privacy preference, send a response defining representations for display of a plurality of alternate entities and a relative compatibility of corresponding privacy policies of the alternate entities with the privacy preference such that the representations of the alternate entities having greater compatibility are different than the representations of the alternate entities having lesser compatibility.

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 sending the response, 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 17 , 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.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the relative compatibility comprises an indication associated with each of a plurality of privacy categories.

Assignees

• Allstate Insurance Co

Inventors

• Parkinson John
• De Guia Nicolette
• Striebich Margaret K

Classifications

• G06F21/6245 Primary

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

• G06F9/5072

  Grid computing · CPC title

• G06F9/5055

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

• H04W12/02

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