Monitoring and Managing User Privacy Levels

• US 20150242654A1
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gjonej, Gerard, Li, Ying
• Application Number:
  US14/699,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242654A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Various embodiments pertain to techniques for measuring a user'"'"'s privacy level as a user interacts with various web services. In various embodiments, entities with which the user interacts are detected and sensitive information shared by the user is logged to determine what a given entity knows about the user. In some embodiments, sensitive information that is shared by a user can be processed using a predictive algorithm to ascertain a user'"'"'s level of privacy. When a user'"'"'s identity is predicted by the algorithm, a user can be alerted to the loss of anonymity. In various embodiments, user-defined areas of anonymity can be used to measure a user'"'"'s definition of privacy. In some embodiments, alerts can also be provided to the user when a new, previously undisclosed, piece of information is shared by the user.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

at least a memory and a processor to implement a browser and a plug-in;

the browser configured to communicate data over a network to a website hosting server that hosts a web page responsive to receiving a user request to navigate to the web page;

the plug-in configured to;

detect the data prior to the data being communicated from the browser to the website hosting server; and

provide a notice that alerts a user of the browser that the data may enable identification of the user or the browser if the data is communicated to the website hosting server.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the data is to be communicated from the browser to the website hosting server as part of a web page request.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises an IP address associated with the computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plug-in is further configured to prevent the data from being communicated from the browser to the website hosting server.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the notice requests that the user confirm the communication of the data to the website hosting server.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the plug-in is further configured to prevent the data from being communicated to the website hosting server responsive to receiving a request to not communicate the data to the website hosting server.

7. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the plug-in is further configured to communicate the data to the website hosting server responsive to receiving a confirmation to communicate the data to the website hosting server.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the notice includes a selectable option to determine information that the website hosting server could learn about the user or the browser if the data is communicated to the website hosting server.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting data to be communicated by a browser to a website hosting server as part of a navigation to a web page hosted by the website hosting server;

determine whether the data may enable identification of the browser or a user of the browser if the data is communicated from the browser to the website hosting server; and

prevent the data from being communicated from the browser to the website hosting server responsive to determining that the data may enable identification of the browser or the user of the browser.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the data is to be communicated from the browser to the website hosting server as part of a web page request.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the data comprises an IP address associated with a computing device that is running the browser.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising providing a notice that alerts the user that the data may enable identification of the browser or the user of the browser if the data is communicated to the website hosting server.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the notice requests that the user confirm the communication of the data to the website hosting server.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising communicating the data to the website hosting server responsive to receiving a confirmation to communicate the data to the website hosting server.

15. A system comprising:

at least a memory and a processor to implement a plug-in for a browser, the plug-in configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting data to be communicated from the browser to a website hosting server as part of a navigation to a web page hosted by the website hosting server;

determining, prior to the data being communicated to the website hosting server, that the data has not been previously disclosed to the website hosting server; and

providing a notice that alerts a user of the browser that the data has not been previously disclosed to the website hosting server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data is to be communicated from the browser to the website hosting server as part of a web page request.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data comprises an IP address associated with a computing device that is running the browser.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the data comprises data that may enable identification of the browser by the website hosting server.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the notice alerts the user that that data may enable identification of the browser by the website hosting server.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the notice requests that the user confirm the communication of the data to the website hosting server.