Privacy Button for Cookie Management and Ad Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing invasion of privacy concerns among individuals due to pervasive observation of computer behavior for targeted advertising in Internet and interactive television advertising, which raises concerns among legislators and public policy influencers.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allows users to control their privacy by identifying and disabling tracking cookies, sending messages to cookie sources and ISPs to suspend or permit observation and advertising, using a privacy button to toggle between 'on' and 'off' states for managing cookie activity and advertising preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pervasive observation of computer behavior is implemented for targeted advertising, then advertising effectiveness is improved, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (privacy settings interface and cookie management system) that mediates between the advertising observation system and the user's private information. This intermediary allows users to control what data is collected while still enabling some level of targeted advertising, thus resolving the contradiction between advertising effectiveness and privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the level of observation and data collection based on user preferences and settings. Users can modify their privacy settings at any time, allowing the system to adapt between different states of observation intensity, thereby balancing advertising effectiveness with user privacy concerns.
2Measurement precision
If cookies are placed on user computers for tracking, then targeted advertising accuracy is improved, but user control over privacy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where users can independently manage their own cookie settings and privacy preferences through an intuitive interface. Users can choose which cookies to accept, modify tracking preferences, and control data collection without requiring assistance, thus maintaining both targeting accuracy and user control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to users about what data is being collected and how it is being used. Through notifications and settings interfaces, users receive information about cookie placement and tracking activities, enabling them to make informed decisions about their privacy while maintaining accurate targeting capabilities.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive data collection is performed by ISPs and publishers, then advertising relevance is improved, but privacy concern increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different levels of data collection for different purposes and different users. Instead of uniform comprehensive collection, the system tailors the extent of data gathering to specific advertising contexts and individual user preferences, maintaining information completeness where needed while reducing privacy concerns in other areas.
Data Source
AI summary
The privacy of users of the Internet and interactive television is protected by actuating a ‘privacy button” on the computer of the end user to cause the computer to search the user's computer to identify all cookies designed to track the user's computer behavior; disable each of the cookies identified by the search; identify the source of each of the disabled cookies; create, carry and forward a message to the identified cookie source that the end user does not want to have his computer behavior observed and/or to receive any advertising until further notice; create, carry and forward a message to the end user's Internet service provider that the end user does not want to receive any advertising and/or that computer observation activity is to be suspended by the Internet service provider until further notice; search the computer memory to identify all websites visited by the end user on the computer during a given time period; and create, carry and forward a message to each website identified in the search that the end user does not want to have his computer behavior observed and/or to receive any advertising until further notice.