Systems and methods for providing privacy settings for applications associated with a user profile

• US 20090013413A1
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, James, Kelly, Chris, Vera, Nico, Steinberg, Arieh, D'Angelo, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 8,627,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing privacy settings for applications associated with a user profile are provided. Exemplary methods include receiving a request from a member of a web-based social network to install an application in association with a member profile, installing the requested application, providing privacy settings selections to control access to data associated with the installed application, receiving a privacy settings selection from the member, and displaying data associated with the application based on the privacy settings selection.

Claims

1. A method for providing privacy settings for an application associated with a member profile in a web-based social network, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a member to install the application in association with the member profile;

installing the requested application;

providing a privacy settings selection to control access to data associated with the installed application;

receiving the privacy settings selection from the member; and

displaying the data associated with the application based on the privacy settings selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is available via a product directory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the installed application is displayed to a second member based on the privacy settings selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the installed application is displayed only to the member based on the privacy settings selection.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising displaying a summary of privacy settings selections.

6. A system for providing privacy settings for an application associated with a member profile in a web-based social network, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive a request from a member to install the application in association with the member profile;

a profile module configured to install the requested application;

a privacy settings module configured to provide a privacy settings selection to control access to data associated with the installed application and to receive the privacy settings selection from the member; and

the communications interface further configured to send the data associated with the application for display based on the privacy settings selection.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the application is available via a product directory.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the data associated with the installed application is displayed to a second member based on the privacy settings selection.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the data associated with the installed application is displayed only to the member based on the privacy settings selection.

10. The system of claim 6, the system further comprising a privacy summary module configured to display a summary of privacy settings selections.

11. A computer readable medium having embedded thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor for performing a method for providing privacy settings for an application associated with a member profile in a web-based social network, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a member to install the application in association with the member profile;

installing the requested application;

providing a privacy settings selection to control access to data associated with the installed application;

receiving the privacy settings selection from the member; and

displaying the data associated with the application based on the privacy settings selection.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the application is available via a product directory.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the installed application is displayed to a second member based on the privacy settings selection.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the installed application is displayed only to the member based on the privacy settings selection.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising displaying a summary of privacy settings selections.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the privacy settings selection allows the data associated with the application to be accessed by the member'"'"'s friends.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the privacy settings selection allows the data associated with the application to be accessed by the member'"'"'s school network.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the privacy settings selection allows the data associated with the application to be accessed by the member'"'"'s workplace network.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the privacy settings selection allows the data associated with the application to be accessed by the member'"'"'s geographic network.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the privacy settings selection allows the data associated with the application to be accessed by only the member.