Dynamic Visibility Preferences for Social Network Privacy Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users are hesitant to share personal information on online social networks due to concerns about unwanted communications and misuse of their data, leading to a lack of control over who can view and interact with their information.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where users can set visibility and contactability preferences to control who can access and communicate with their personal information, using a preference scale of 1 (only friends), 2 (friends and friends of friends), 3 (friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends), or ALL (all members), within an online social network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users provide personal information to online social networks, then they can communicate with friends and expand their social networks, but they may experience unwanted communications and misuse of their data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic privacy controls where users can adjust their visibility preferences on a sliding scale from 1 to 4. This allows users to dynamically control who can view their personal information based on their relationship to the user (friends, friends of friends, etc.), transforming a static privacy model into an adaptable one that responds to user needs while preventing unwanted communications from strangers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different privacy controls to different parts of the social network based on the user's relationship level. By creating localized visibility preferences for different circles of acquaintances, the system allows friends to access more information while restricting access for strangers, thus resolving the contradiction between social expansion and preventing harmful communications.
2Ease of operation
If users provide personal information to online social networks, then they can share personal information with friends and family, but parents fear it may be subsequently misused by strangers
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic visibility scale allows parents to confidently share information with children while maintaining security controls. The system automatically enforces the privacy settings, ensuring that even if children access the network, their information remains protected from strangers according to the parent-defined visibility preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The visibility preference system acts as an intermediary between users and the network infrastructure. It mediates the access control by implementing layered privacy controls that allow information sharing while preventing misuse, thereby building trust and improving reliability without reducing ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If users set strict visibility preferences to control privacy, then unwanted communications are reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the privacy control into discrete, manageable levels (1-4) rather than requiring complex custom configurations. This segmentation simplifies the user interface while maintaining effective control over unwanted communications, reducing the perceived complexity despite the sophisticated underlying privacy management system.
Data Source
AI summary
An online social network is provided in which members of the online social network control who may view their personal information and who may communicate with them. The members control who may view their personal information by setting a visibility preference. A member may not view another member's full personal profile if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the visibility preference of the other member. The members also control who may communicate with them by setting a contactability preference. A member may not communicate with another member if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the contactability preference of the other member.