Data processing systems and methods for performing privacy assessments and monitoring of new versions of computer code for privacy compliance

• US 10,567,439 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OneTrust LLC
• Original Assignee: OneTrust LLC
• Inventors: Barday, Kabir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodchild, William J.
• Application Number:
  US16/505,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20190334953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 225 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Data processing systems and methods, according to various embodiments, perform privacy assessments and monitor new versions of computer code for updated features and conditions that relate to compliance with privacy standards. The systems and methods may obtain a copy of computer code (e.g., a software application or code associated with a website) that collects and/or uses personal data, and then automatically analyze the computer code to identify one or more privacy-related attributes that may impact compliance with applicable privacy standards. The system may be adapted to monitor one or more locations (e.g., an online software application marketplace, and/or a specified website) to determine whether the application or website has changed. The system may, after analyzing the computer code, display the privacy-related attributes, collect information regarding the attributes, and automatically notify one or more designated individuals (e.g., privacy office representatives) regarding the attributes and information collected.

Claims

1. A computer system for use in automatically monitoring computer code for changes within the context of privacy management, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

computer memory embodied in one or more computer storage locations operatively coupled to the one or more computer processors that stores particular computer code, wherein the computer system is configured for;

receiving an indication that new computer code has been stored in the computer memory; and

comparing the contents of the new computer code with one or more versions of the particular computer code that have been assessed as a part of a previous privacy assessment;

in response to determining that the contents of the new computer code are different from the contents of the one or more versions of the particular computer code that have been assessed as a part of a previous privacy assessment, communicating, by the one or more computer processors, an alert to a user indicating that a new version of the particular computer code exists; and

in response to determining that the contents of the new computer code are different from the contents of the one or more versions of the particular computer code that have been assessed as a part of a previous privacy assessment;

automatically electronically analyzing, by the one or more computer processors, the new computer code to determine one or more privacy-related attributes of the new computer code, each of the privacy-related attributes indicating one or more types of personal information the new computer code collects or accesses;

electronically displaying to an individual, by the one or more computer processors, a list of the one or more privacy-related attributes of the new computer code;

electronically displaying, by the one or more computer processors, one or more prompts to the individual, wherein each prompt informs the user to input information regarding one or more particular attributes of the one or more privacy-related attributes; and

communicating, by the one or more computer processors, the information regarding the particular privacy-related attributes for use in conducting a privacy assessment of the new computer code.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer storage locations comprise an app store.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer storage locations comprise a designated folder in computer memory.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the new computer code is computer code that is associated with a website and the one or more storage locations comprises a URL.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the computer system is further configured for:

monitoring, by the one or more computer processors, a location of a privacy policy on the website; and

in response to the location of the privacy policy satisfying one or more specified criteria, communicating, by the one or more computer processors, an alert to a user.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the one or more specified criteria comprise the location of the privacy policy being different from a specified location on the website.

7. A computer system for use in automatically monitoring computer code for changes within the context of privacy management, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

one or more computer storage locations that store particular computer code; and

memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the computer system is configured for;

receiving an indication that new computer code having an identifier associated with the particular computer code has been stored in the one or more computer storage locations;

comparing the contents of the new computer code with one or more versions of the particular computer code that have been assessed as a part of a previous privacy assessment,

in response to determining that the contents of the new computer code are different from the contents of the one or more versions of the particular computer code that have been assessed as a part of a previous privacy assessment;

automatically electronically analyzing the new computer code to determine whether the new computer code has any one of a specified plurality of privacy-related attributes; and

in response to determining that the new computer code has a particular one of the specified plurality of privacy-related attributes;

(A) executing the steps of;

(i) flagging the new computer code for manual review;

(ii) electronically displaying one or more prompts to a user requesting that the user input information regarding the particular privacy-related attribute;

(iii) receiving input information from the user regarding the particular privacy-related attribute; and

(iv) communicating the input information to a second user for use in a privacy assessment of the new computer code.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the particular privacy-related attribute is that the new computer code collects information regarding the web browsing habits of users of the new computer code.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the information regarding one or more particular attributes comprises a reason that the new computer code has the one or more attributes.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer storage locations comprises an app store.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer storage locations comprises a designated folder in computer memory.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the new computer code is computer code that is associated with a website and the one or more storage locations comprises a URL.

13. A computer-implemented data processing method for use in automatically monitoring computer code for changes within the context of privacy management, the method comprising:

(A) automatically electronically, by one or more computer processors, analyzing one or more new versions of computer code to determine one or more privacy-related attributes of the one or more new versions of computer code;

(B) in response to determining that the one or more new versions of the computer code have a particular privacy-related attribute of the one or more privacy-related attributes;

(i) automatically flagging the one or more new versions of the particular computer code for manual review;

(ii) electronically displaying to an individual, by one or more computer processors, a list of the determined one or more privacy-related attributes;

(iii) electronically displaying, by one or more computer processors, one or more prompts to an individual wherein each prompt informs the individual to input information regarding the one or more attributes; and

(iv) communicating, by one or more computer processors, the information regarding the one or more privacy-related attributes to one or more second individuals for use in conducting a privacy assessment of the new computer code.

14. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, further comprising:

automatically electronically, by one or more computer processors, analyzing the one or more new versions of the computer code to determine whether the one or more new versions of the computer code has a particular one of a specified plurality of privacy-related attributes; and

in response to determining that the one or more new versions of the computer code has the particular privacy-related attribute;

(A) changing, by one or more computer processors, an indicator associated with the one or more new versions of the computer code to indicate that, before the one or more new versions of the computer code is launched, the attribute should be reviewed by one or more designated individuals; and

(B) changing, by one or more computer processors, an indicator associated with the one or more new versions of the computer code to indicate that, before the one or more new versions of the computer code are launched, the one or more new versions of the computer code should be modified to not include the one or more particular attributes.

15. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, wherein the particular privacy-related attribute is that the one or more new versions of the computer code collects information regarding the location of users of the one or more new versions of the computer code.

16. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, wherein the particular privacy-related attribute is that the one or more new versions of the computer code collects information regarding the web browsing habits of users of the new computer code.

17. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, wherein the information regarding one or more particular attributes comprises a reason for having the new computer code have the one or more attributes.

18. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer storage locations comprises an app store.

19. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer storage locations comprises a designated folder in computer memory.

20. The computer-implemented data processing method of claim 13, wherein the one or more new versions of the computer code is computer code that is associated with a website and the one or more storage locations comprises a URL.