Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to third-party privacy compliant target systems

• US 10,200,413 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2018
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantcast
• Original Assignee: Quantcast
• Inventors: Flowerday, Crispin Edward Harold, Kamprath, Michael F., Sareshwala, Faraaz Aejaz, Vogel Fernandez de Castro, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Abedin, Shanto
• Application Number:
  US15/959,267
• Time in Patent Office: 289 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 2, 726 26- 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to a third-party privacy compliant target system. A privacy policy is configured for and mapped to each of a multiplicity of mobile application concerns, with each privacy policy comprising rules regulating the transmission of information to a third-party privacy compliant target system. Instrumentation instructions can be integrated with a mobile application and provided to a mobile device. The instrumentation instructions direct the mobile application to submit a privacy policy request comprising a mobile application identifier from the mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system and enable sending information from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliant target system, subject to the privacy policy. The privacy policy request is received at the third-party privacy compliance system which selects the privacy policy based on an application identifier and sends the privacy policy to the mobile device for implementation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for;

detecting, at the mobile device, an operator-configured privacy policy restriction configured by an operator of the mobile device;

responsive to detecting an absence, at the mobile device, of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, requesting a privacy policy from a compliance system by the mobile device, the request comprising the operator-configured privacy policy restriction and a respective identifier of a software installation cohort representing a plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;

receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy from the compliance system, the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy comprising a rule for regulating transmission of information from the mobile device to the partner system consistent with the operator-configured privacy policy restriction;

selecting information in compliance with the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and

sending the selected information to the partner system;

responsive to receiving the request at the compliance system from the mobile device, selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy according to the identifier of the software installation cohort and the operator-configured privacy policy restriction of the request; and

sending the selected valid compliance system-configured privacy policy to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy at the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

invalidating the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, after an end of a use session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy,

discarding, the operator-configured privacy policy restriction of the request.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the operator-configured privacy policy restriction of the request is discarded before the customized privacy policy is sent to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, detecting information at the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

transforming information at the mobile device according to the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and

wherein

selecting information comprises selecting transformed information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected information comprises geolocation information.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium executing computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for:

providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for;

detecting, at the mobile device, an operator-configured privacy policy restriction configured by an operator of the mobile device;

responsive to detecting an absence, at the mobile device, of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, requesting a privacy policy from a compliance system by the mobile device, the request comprising the operator-configured privacy policy restriction and a respective identifier of a software installation cohort representing a plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;

receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy from the compliance system, the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy comprising a rule for regulating transmission of information from the mobile device to the partner system consistent with the operator-configured privacy policy restriction;

selecting information in compliance with the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and

sending the selected information to the partner system;

responsive to receiving the request from the mobile device, selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy according to the identifier of the software installation cohort; and

sending the selected valid compliance system-configured privacy policy to the mobile device.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

invalidating the privacy policy, after an end of a use session.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, detecting information at the mobile device.

13. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

transforming information at the mobile device according to the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and

wherein

selecting information comprises selecting transformed information.

14. The medium of claim 9, wherein the selected information comprises geolocation information.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable computer program instructions, the instructions comprising instructions for;

providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for

detecting, at the mobile device, an operator-configured privacy policy restriction configured by an operator of the mobile device;

responsive to detecting an absence, at the mobile device, of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, requesting a privacy policy from a compliance system by the mobile device, the request comprising the operator-configured privacy policy restriction and a respective identifier of a software installation cohort representing a plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;

receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy from the compliance system, the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy comprising a rule for regulating transmission of information from the mobile device to the partner system consistent with the operator-configured privacy policy restriction;

selecting information in compliance with the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and

sending the selected information to the partner system;

responsive to receiving the request from the mobile device, selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy according to the identifier of the software installation cohort; and

sending the selected valid compliance system-configured privacy policy to the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, detecting information at the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:

transforming information at the mobile device according to the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and

wherein

selecting information comprises selecting transformed information.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the selected information comprises geolocation information.