Intermediary VM Access to Paywalled Content Without User Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for accessing paywalled content face challenges such as complex integration with new partners, user tracking risks, exposure to malicious software, interference with search engine optimization, and text copying risks.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method involving an intermediary site that uses a virtual machine to access paywalled content, rendering it as image frames or video streams, avoiding direct installation and user tracking, while maintaining publisher control and ad integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If special publishing software installation is required for each partner integration, then publisher control and content security are maintained, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary service that acts as a mediator between users and paywalled content. Instead of requiring direct software installation on user devices, the intermediary service handles the complex integration logic centrally, maintaining publisher control while simplifying the user experience and reducing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If direct access to paywalled content is provided, then content sharing is enabled, but user tracking and malicious software exposure risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary service serves as a protective barrier between users and paywalled content. It captures screenshots of the content and transmits them to users without requiring direct access to the paywalled site, thereby enabling content sharing while preventing user tracking and malicious software exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing direct access to paywalled content, the system creates visual copies (screenshots) of the content and transmits these copies to users. This copying approach enables content sharing while maintaining security boundaries that prevent user tracking and malicious software exposure.
3Ease of operation
If content sharing methods are implemented, then access to paywalled content is enabled, but search engine optimization interference and text copying risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates visual copies of paywalled content through screenshots and transmits these copies to users. This copying method enables content access while preserving the original content's integrity and preventing search engine interference and text copying, as the actual content remains on the paywalled site.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method is provided to prevent user tracking of a user device by an operator associated with a paywalled content site by a) receiving, at an intermediary site a request for a URL associate with a paywalled content site, b) forwarding the URL to a virtual machine; c) requesting, by the virtual machine, paywalled content using the URL and using credentials for the paywalled content; d) receiving the paywalled content at the virtual machine; e) rendering the paywalled content as an image frame in a frame buffer; f) creating a video stream or image based on the frame buffer; and g) displaying the video stream or the image at the user device.