System and method for applying privacy settings to a plurality of applications

• US 8,826,446 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Alex M. III, Cohen, David M., Liu, Sean Y., Steiner, Matthew Stephen, McPhie, Jonathan S., Diwanji, Pavani Naishadh
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANAAN, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US13/009,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A system and method for adjusting privacy protection for a user in a plurality of applications is disclosed. A privacy protection request is sent to a user device. In one embodiment, the request is displayed on user device in the form of a pop-up window. In another embodiment, the request is displayed in a privacy settings area. The privacy protection request includes a plurality of protection levels. Once a protection level is selected the protection level is sent back and received by the system. Privacy settings are adjusted according to the selected privacy protection level based on information stored in a master template. In some embodiments, the privacy protection level is translated to associated privacy settings. Once the privacy settings have been adjusted, the privacy settings are applied to a plurality of online applications associated with the user based on the privacy protection level selected.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adjusting privacy protection for a user in a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

receiving, using one or more processors, privacy settings information including one or more of the user'"'"'s privacy settings from the plurality of applications, a privacy setting determining an availability of at least one feature of the user to other users;

generating, using one or more processors, a template based on the privacy settings information from the plurality of applications;

sending, using one or more processors, a privacy protection request to the user, wherein the privacy protection request includes a plurality of privacy protection levels;

receiving, using one or more processors, a level of privacy protection from the user, wherein the privacy protection level determines a privacy setting for each of a set of features associated with the user;

adjusting, using one or more processors, the privacy settings information in the template including adjusting at least one corresponding privacy setting in the template associated with the user in response to receiving the level of privacy protection from the user; and

applying, using one or more processors, the adjusted at least one corresponding privacy setting to an associated privacy setting at one or more of the plurality of applications based on the adjusted template, wherein the plurality of applications are associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

translating the level of privacy protection to the at least one corresponding privacy setting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of privacy protection levels and the at least one corresponding privacy setting is stored in the template.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy preference includes a plurality of preference levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications includes a blogging service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications includes a photo sharing service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications includes a video sharing service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of privacy protection levels is customizable for each user.

9. A system for adjusting privacy settings in a plurality of online applications, the system comprising:

a processor, and at least one module, stored in a memory and executed by the processor, the at least one module including instructions for;

receiving, using one or more processors, privacy settings information including one or more of the user'"'"'s privacy settings from the plurality of applications, a privacy setting determining an availability of at least one feature of the user to other users;

generating, using one or more processors, a template based on the privacy settings information from the plurality of applications;

sending a privacy protection request to the user, wherein the privacy protection request includes a plurality of privacy protection levels;

receiving a level of privacy protection from the user, wherein the privacy protection level determines a privacy setting for each of a set of features associated with the user,

adjusting the privacy settings information in the template including adjusting at least one corresponding privacy setting in the template associated with the user in response to receiving the level of privacy protection from the user; and

applying the adjusted at least one corresponding privacy setting to an associated privacy setting at one or more of the plurality of applications based on the adjusted template, wherein the plurality of applications are associated with the user.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

translating the level of privacy protection to the at least one corresponding privacy setting.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of privacy protection levels and the at least one corresponding privacy setting is stored in the template.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the privacy preference includes a plurality of preference levels.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of applications includes a blogging service.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of applications includes a photo sharing service.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of applications includes a video sharing service.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of privacy protection levels is customizable for each user.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

present a graphical user interface for adjusting privacy settings in a plurality of online applications, the privacy settings including one or more of the user'"'"'s privacy settings received from the plurality of online applications, a privacy setting determining an availability of at least one feature of the user to other users, the graphical user interface comprising;

a request for a level of protection, wherein the request includes a plurality of levels of protection that determine a privacy setting for each of a set of features associated with the user; and

apply the determined privacy setting associated with a selected level of protection at the plurality of applications responsive to selection of the selected level of protection.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein the request is a pop-up window.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

present a graphical user interface comprising;

a first privacy level object, wherein selection of the first privacy level object causes application of a first corresponding privacy setting, at an online social application, for each of a first set of features associated with a user of the online social application; and

a second privacy level object, wherein selection of the second privacy level object causes application of a second corresponding privacy setting, at the online social application, for each of a second set of features associated with the user gf the online social application,

wherein the first set of features and second set of features are associated with a plurality of applications and, prior to application of one or more of the first corresponding privacy setting and the second corresponding privacy setting, the privacy settings for one or more of the first set of features and second set of features includes the user'"'"'s privacy settings received from the plurality of applications, a privacy setting determining an availability of at least one feature of the user to other users.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19, wherein selection of the first privacy level object or the second privacy level objects initiates a query of a template to identify the first corresponding privacy setting or the second corresponding privacy setting.