Digital Component Distribution With Privacy-Preserving Contextual Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for distributing digital components across client devices compromise user privacy by sharing sensitive user data between intermediaries, particularly with the deprecation of third-party cookies.
Innovation Solution
A trusted server hosts selection logic for digital components, receiving opaque requests from client devices, and transmitting contextual requests to content platforms without sensitive user data, ensuring user data remains within a trust boundary and is not shared with other entities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If user data is shared between intermediaries (DSPs, SSPs, digital media owners) for selecting and serving user-focused content, then content personalization and targeting effectiveness are improved, but user privacy and data security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A trusted server is introduced as an intermediary between client devices and content platforms. The server receives digital component requests from client devices, obtains contextual information from platforms without accessing sensitive user data, and filters results based on user data that remains stored locally on the client device. This mediator architecture enables content personalization while preventing direct data sharing between platforms and users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the content selection process into distinct functional components: (1) contextual information gathering from platforms, (2) user data storage and management on client devices, (3) filtering and selection logic execution on a trusted server, and (4) digital component delivery. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function while maintaining appropriate data boundaries and privacy protections.
2Productivity
If third-party cookies are used for tracking and serving targeted content across websites, then advertising effectiveness and user targeting are improved, but user privacy control and data security are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The client device is empowered to self-manage its own user data throughout the content selection process. The device stores user data locally, sends only opaque requests and receives only contextual responses from platforms and the trusted server, and performs the final filtering and selection based on its own user data. This self-service model eliminates the need for third-party cookies while maintaining advertising effectiveness through platform-provided contextual information.
3Measurement precision
If sensitive user data is transmitted to multiple platforms for digital component selection, then selection accuracy and relevance are improved, but network bandwidth consumption and computing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts sensitive user data from the data transmission flow entirely. Instead of transmitting user data to platforms or the trusted server, the system extracts only contextual information from platforms and keeps user data confined to the client device. The trusted server performs filtering based on locally-stored user data without receiving the actual user data, thereby maintaining selection accuracy while eliminating unnecessary network transmission of sensitive information.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for distributing digital component while securing user data are described. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, by a multi-platform server and from a client device, a request for a digital component for presentation by the client device. The request for the digital component includes (i) request data that is opaque to the multi-platform server, and (ii) sensitive user data that is managed by the client device. In response to receiving the request for the digital component, the multi-platform server transmits, to a first content platform, a contextual request that includes the request data from the client device and that does not include the sensitive user data. After transmitting the contextual request, the multi-platform server receives, from the first content platform, a contextual response that includes a selection data unit for a first repository of digital components.