System and method for privacy setting differentiation detection

• US 8,832,854 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Staddon, Jessica, McPhie, Jonathan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kanaan, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/173,359
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A system and method for generating a notification of privacy settings difference is disclosed. A request is received. A first set of privacy settings is received from a first social network, and a second set of privacy settings is received from at least one other social network. The first set of is compared to the second set. A difference between the first set and the second is detected, and a notification is generated. The notification includes an indication that a difference was detected. The notification is sent for display to the user. In one embodiment, the notification allows the user to request to view, or edit, the first set of privacy settings. In one embodiment, the notification sends the user to a webpage on the first social network where the first set is typically displayed and/or edited. In another embodiment, the notification displays the first set and/or receives the edits.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a notification of privacy settings difference, the method comprising:

receiving, using one or more processors, a request for access to information on a social network, wherein the information includes privacy settings information of a user;

receiving, using one or more processors, a first set of user privacy settings of the user from a first social network and a second set of privacy settings of the user from at least one other social network, wherein the first set of privacy settings of the user include user-defined accessibility to one or more features associated with the user of the first social network, and wherein the second set of privacy settings of the user include user-defined accessibility to one or more features associated with the user of the second social network;

comparing, using one or more processors, the first set of privacy settings to the second set of privacy settings;

detecting, using one or more processors, a difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings;

responsive to detecting the difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings, generating, using one or more processors, a notification, wherein the notification includes an indication that the difference has been detected; and

sending, using one or more processors, the notification for display to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is the user'"'"'s login request that is sent to the first social network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is the user'"'"'s request to edit the first set of privacy settings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is the user selecting a button or hypertext link on the first social network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference exists when the privacy setting of the first set of privacy settings is less restrictive than the privacy setting of the second set of privacy settings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first set of privacy settings to the second set of privacy settings, further comprises:

determining equivalent privacy settings among the first set of privacy settings and second set of privacy settings, wherein the equivalent privacy settings are further compared to determine whether different privacy settings levels exist.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of privacy settings is compared to the second set of privacy settings until a subset of the privacy settings has been compared and the subset'"'"'s differences detected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated and sent responsive to detecting at least one privacy settings of the first social network that is less restrictive than the privacy setting of the at least one other social network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification identifies the at least one other social network having the detected difference from the first social network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes the detected difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification allows the user to request to view, or edit, one or more of the privacy settings of the first social network.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

receiving the user'"'"'s request to view, or edit, the first set of privacy settings; and

sending the user to a webpage on the first social network where the first set of privacy settings are typically displayed, or edited.

13. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

receiving the user'"'"'s request to edit and one or more edits to the first set of privacy settings; and

updating the first set of privacy settings according to the edits received from the user.

14. A system for generating a notification of privacy settings difference, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a request receiver engine stored on a memory and executable by the one or more processors for receiving a request for access to information on a social network, wherein the information includes privacy settings information of a user;

a privacy settings retrieval engine for receiving a first set of privacy settings of a user from a first social network and a second set of privacy settings of the user from at least one other social network, wherein the first set of privacy settings of the user include user-defined accessibility to one or more features associated with the user of the first social network, and wherein the second set of privacy settings of the user include user-defined accessibility to one or more features associated with the user of the second social network;

a privacy settings differentiator engine for comparing the privacy settings of the first social network to the of the at least one other social network and detecting a difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings;

a differentiation display engine for generating a notification responsive to the privacy settings differentiator engine detecting the difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings, wherein the notification includes an indication that the difference has been detected and sending the notification for display to the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request is the user'"'"'s login request that is sent to the first social network.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the request is the user'"'"'s request to edit one or more privacy settings of the first social network.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the request is the user selecting a button or hypertext link on the first social network.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the difference exists when the privacy setting of the first set of privacy settings is less restrictive than the privacy setting of the second set of privacy settings.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein comparing the first set of privacy settings to the second set of privacy settings, further comprises:

determining equivalent privacy settings among the first set of privacy settings and second set of privacy settings, wherein the equivalent privacy settings are further compared to determine whether different privacy settings levels exist.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the first set of privacy settings is compared to the second set of privacy settings until a subset of the privacy settings have been compared and the differences detected.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the notification is generated and sent responsive to detecting at least one privacy setting of the first social network that is less restrictive than the privacy setting of the at least one other social network.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the notification identifies the at least one other social network having the detected difference from the first social network.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the notification includes the detected difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the notification allows the user to request to view, or edit, one or more of the privacy settings of the first social network.

25. The system of claim 24, the system further comprising:

a privacy settings adjustment engine for receiving the user'"'"'s request to view, or edit, the privacy settings of the first social network; and

sending the user to a webpage on the first social network where the privacy settings are typically displayed, or edited.

26. The system of claim 24, the system further comprising:

a privacy settings adjustment module for receiving the user'"'"'s request to edit and one or more edits to the user'"'"'s privacy settings of the first social network; and

updating the privacy settings of the first social network according to the edits received from the user.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer usable non-transitory storage medium including a computer readable program, the computer readable program when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

receive a request for access to information on a social network, wherein the information

includes privacy settings information of a user;

receive a first set of user privacy settings of a user from a first social network and a second set of privacy settings of the user from at least one other social network, wherein the first set of privacy settings of the user include user-defined accessibility to one or more features associated with the user of the first social network, and wherein the second set of privacy settings of the user include user-defined accessibility to one or more features associated with the user of the second social network;

compare the first set of privacy settings to the second set of privacy settings;

detect a difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings;

responsive to detecting the difference between the first set of privacy settings and the second set of privacy settings, generate a notification, wherein the notification includes an indication that the difference has been detected; and

send the notification for display to the user.