Anonymized User Identifier for Privacy-Preserving Personalization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic commerce applications face privacy and security concerns due to extensive data collection practices, which can lead to unauthorized access and data breaches.
Innovation Solution
A network environment where users authenticate with a first-party service to receive a unique anonymized user identifier, allowing them to interact with third-party websites while protecting their personal data by only sharing recommendations rather than user data or reasoning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electronic commerce applications collect extensive personal data to provide personalized recommendations, then personalization quality is improved, but user privacy and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trusted intermediary service that acts as a mediator between users and electronic commerce applications. This intermediary holds and manages user data securely, allowing applications to access only the information necessary for personalization while the intermediary maintains control over data access and ensures user privacy protection through authorized channels only.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments user data into different categories and access levels, allowing selective sharing of information. Instead of providing complete personal data to applications, the system divides data access into controlled portions based on user preferences and application needs, thereby enabling personalization while minimizing privacy exposure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If user data is shared with multiple third parties for personalization, then personalization effectiveness is improved, but data breach risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trusted intermediary serves as a single point of control that manages data sharing with multiple third parties. Instead of users directly sharing data with numerous applications, the intermediary authenticates and authorizes each access request, maintaining a secure gateway that reduces the attack surface while enabling personalized services from multiple sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the intermediary monitors and tracks data access patterns, allowing users to review and control who accesses their information. This continuous feedback loop enables users to adjust their privacy settings and revoke permissions, maintaining security while allowing effective personalization through controlled data sharing.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various approaches for providing personalized recommendations in a privacy preserving manner. A request from a provider application is received, the request comprising an anonymized user identifier and a navigation identifier that identifies a location of a user associated with the anonymized user identifier within a user interface of the provider application. A user associated with the anonymized user identifier is identified. Then, an activity history of the user is analyzed in order to select a layout order, wherein the layout order is selected based at least in part on the navigation identifier and the activity history of the user. The layout order is then provided to the provider application.