Verifying instant messaging aliases via online parental control accounts, without disclosing identity to unverified parties

• US 7,827,247 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NortonLifeLock Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Spertus, Michael Paul, Newstadt, Keith, Cooley, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/130,820
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 726/1
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A parental control system is used to verify the identity of parents, based on children'"'"'s instant messaging aliases. A plurality of verified parental accounts is maintained, each of which includes the identity of the parents and their children, including the children'"'"'s instant messaging aliases. When a first child wishes to electronically communicate with a second child, s/he makes a request which includes the second child'"'"'s alias and additional information identifying the target party. Only if an account containing the alias is found and the additional information can be verified, an identity verification request is transmitted, disclosing the identity of the first child'"'"'s parents, and requesting reciprocal identity verification. Only if the second child'"'"'s parents disclose their identity is the instant messaging between the children permitted.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for verifying identities of parties for electronic communication, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining, by at least one computer, a plurality of verified parental accounts, each verified parental account comprising at least a verified identity of at least one parent and at least one electronic communication alias of at least one associated child account;

receiving, by the at least one computer, a request from a first child account to an associated parent account to allow electronic communication with a second child account, the request comprising at least an electronic communication alias associated with the second child account and additional information concerning a target party, the additional information comprising validated personal data concerning a second child;

searching, by the at least one computer, the plurality of parental accounts for the electronic communication alias associated with the second child account;

attempting to verify, by the at least one computer, the additional information concerning the target party;

transmitting, by the at least one computer, an identity verification request to a parent account associated with the second child account, the identity verification request

disclosing the identity of the parent associated with the first child account, and requesting reciprocal verification of the identity of the parent associated with the second child account; and

at least partially responsive to results of the searching step and the attempting to verify step, determining, by the at least one computer, whether to allow electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to finding a parental account containing the electronic communication alias associated with the second child account and verifying the additional information concerning the target party, transmitting, by the at least one computer, the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the second child account, the identity verification request disclosing the identity of the parent associated with the first child account, and requesting reciprocal verification of the identity of the parent associated with the second child account.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one computer, a response to the identity verification request from the parent account associated with the second child account, the response disclosing the identity of the parent associated with the second child account.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting, by the at least one computer, the received response to the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the first child account; and

allowing, by the at least one computer, electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

not allowing, by the at least one computer, electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account, responsive to a condition from a group of conditions consisting of;

     1) not receiving a response to the identity verification request from the parent account associated with the second child account,

     2) receiving a response to the identity verification request from the parent account associated with the second child account, the response indicating that the parent associated with the second child account elects not to disclose their identity.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

transmitting, by the at least one computer, a notification to the parent account associated with the first child account, the notification indicating that the parent associated with the second child account has not disclosed their identity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein electronic communication comprises at least one type of electronic communication from a group consisting of:

instant messaging;

electronic chatting; and

electronic mail.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one computer, an identification of at least one trusted party from a parent account;

receiving, by the at least one computer, a request from a first child account associated with the parent account to allow electronic communication with a second child account;

determining, by the at least one computer, that the second child account is associated with a party identified as being trusted by the parent account; and

transmitting, by the at least one computer, the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the second child account without verifying the additional information concerning the target party.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprising validated personal data concerning the second child further comprises validated personal data concerning a parent of the second child.

10. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program product for verifying identities of parties for electronic communication, the computer program product comprising:

program code for maintaining a plurality of verified parental accounts, each verified parental account comprising at least a verified identity of at least one parent and at least one electronic communication alias of at least one associated child account;

program code for receiving a request from a first child account to an associated parent account to allow electronic communication with a second child account, the request comprising at least an electronic communication alias associated with the second child account and additional information concerning a target party, the additional information comprising validated personal data concerning a second child;

program code for searching the plurality of parental accounts for the electronic communication alias associated with the second child account;

program code for attempting to verify the additional information concerning the target party;

program code for transmitting an identity verification request to a parent account associated with the second child account, the identity verification request disclosing the identity of the parent associated with the first child account, and requesting reciprocal verification of the identity of the parent associated with the second child account; and

program code for at least partially responsive to results of the searching step and the attempting to verify step, determining whether to allow electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for, responsive to finding a parental account containing the electronic communication alias associated with the second child account and verifying the additional information concerning the target party, transmitting the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the second child account, the identity verification request disclosing the identity of the parent associated with the first child account, and requesting reciprocal verification of the identity of the parent associated with the second child account.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for receiving a response to the identity verification request from the parent account associated with the second child account, the response disclosing the identity of the parent associated with the second child account.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

program code for transmitting the received response to the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the first child account; and

program code for allowing electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

program code for transmitting the received response to the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the first child account; and

program code for, only in response to receiving an approval from the parent account associated with the first child account, allowing electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

program code for not allowing electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account, responsive to a condition from a group of conditions consisting of;

     1) not receiving a response to the identity verification request from the parent account associated with the second child account,

     2) receiving a response to the identity verification request from the parent account associated with the second child account, the response indicating that the parent associated with the second child account elects not to disclose their identity.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code for transmitting a notification to the parent account associated with the first child account, the notification indicating that the parent associated with the second child account has not disclosed their identity.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for receiving an identification of at least one trusted party from a parent account;

program code for receiving a request from a first child account associated with the parent account to allow electronic communication with a second child account;

program code for determining that the second child account is associated with a party identified as being trusted by the parent account; and

program code for transmitting the identity verification request to the parent account associated with the second child account without verifying the additional information concerning the target party.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the program code for verifying the additional information concerning the target party further comprises program code for performing at least one step from a group of steps consisting of:

verifying the additional information in the parental account containing the electronic communication alias associated with the second child account; and

verifying the additional information with at least one trusted third party information provider.

19. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising program code for performing at least one additional step from a group of steps consisting of:

responsive to not verifying the additional information concerning the target party, not permitting electronic communication between the first child account and the second child account; and

responsive to not verifying the additional information concerning the target party, transmitting an electronic notification to the parent account associated with the first child account, the electronic notification indicating the additional information concerning the target party could not be verified.

20. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the additional information comprising validated personal data concerning the second child further comprises validated personal data concerning a parent of the second child.