SYSTEMS FOR AND METHODS FOR DETECTING URL WEB TRACKING AND CONSUMER OPT-OUT COOKIES
First Claim
1. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, embedded in the medium, for detecting anti-tracking information, the instructions comprising instructions for:
- initiating an opt-out cookie web crawler configured for;
accessing a first plurality of web sites;
identifying opt-out cookie information in web page content of the first plurality of web pages;
processing identified opt-out cookie information to determine a definitive uniform resource locator (URL) of an opt-out cookie;
recording opt-out cookie URL information including information indicative of the definitive URL in an opt-out cookie URL database; and
making the opt-out cookie URL database accessible to an anti-tracking application; and
initiating a web browser rendering engine configured for;
accessing a second plurality of web sites;
processing web page content in the second plurality of web sites, wherein the web page content includes at least one of image content, web browser cookie content, and executable script content;
logging communications traffic generated by said processing of said web page content wherein said communications traffic is indicative of communications traffic resulting from a web browser processing the web page content;
analyzing the logged communications traffic to identify URL tracking patterns; and
maintaining a database of URL tracking information based, at least in part, on the identified tracking patterns.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An anti-tracking server includes a rendering engine for URL tracking and/or an opt-out cookie web crawler. The rendering engine is configured for emulating a browser visiting a plurality of web sites and processing elements of web content in web pages of the visited web sites. Web communication traffic generated as a result of said processing is captured and analyzed to identify URL tracking patterns. A URL tracking database reflecting identified URL tracking patterns is maintained. The opt-out cookie web crawlers are configured for visiting a second plurality of web sites, identifying hyperlinks pertaining to opt-out cookies in the second plurality of web sites, and following the identified hyperlinks to determine definitive uniform resource locators (URLs) for the opt-out cookies. An opt-out cookie database containing the definitive opt-out cookie URLs is maintained. The server coordinates with an anti-tracking application of a user device to provide the user device with access to information in the URL tracking database and information indicative of the definitive URLs.
425 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, embedded in the medium, for detecting anti-tracking information, the instructions comprising instructions for:
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initiating an opt-out cookie web crawler configured for; accessing a first plurality of web sites; identifying opt-out cookie information in web page content of the first plurality of web pages; processing identified opt-out cookie information to determine a definitive uniform resource locator (URL) of an opt-out cookie; recording opt-out cookie URL information including information indicative of the definitive URL in an opt-out cookie URL database; and making the opt-out cookie URL database accessible to an anti-tracking application; and initiating a web browser rendering engine configured for; accessing a second plurality of web sites; processing web page content in the second plurality of web sites, wherein the web page content includes at least one of image content, web browser cookie content, and executable script content; logging communications traffic generated by said processing of said web page content wherein said communications traffic is indicative of communications traffic resulting from a web browser processing the web page content; analyzing the logged communications traffic to identify URL tracking patterns; and maintaining a database of URL tracking information based, at least in part, on the identified tracking patterns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An anti-tracking server, comprising:
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a processor; tangible computer readable storage, accessible to the processor; and anti-tracking detection instructions, embedded in the storage and executable by the processor, the instructions comprising; out-opt cookie web crawler instructions for; visiting a plurality of web sites; identifying hyperlinks pertaining to opt-out cookies in the plurality of web sites and following the identified hyperlinks to determine definitive uniform resource locators (URLs) for the opt-out cookies; maintaining an opt-out cookie database containing the definitive opt-out cookie URLs; coordinating with an anti-tracking application of a user device to provide the user device with access to the definitive URLs. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of providing anti-tracking detection services for a user device, comprising:
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emulating a browser visiting a plurality of web sites; processing elements of web content in web pages of the visited web sites; capturing web communication traffic generated as a result of said processing; analyzing captured web communication traffic and identifying, from said analyzing, URL tracking patterns; maintaining, based at least in part on said identified URL tracking patterns, a database of URL tracking data; and coordinating with an anti-tracking application of a user device to provide the user device with access to the URL tracking database. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification