Retroactive Shared Content Links for Team Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for sharing digital content items are cumbersome and inefficient, often leading to loss of content due to size limits, unauthorized access, and lack of control over who can download shared items.
Innovation Solution
A content management system that allows team administrators to configure a shared link policy determining access to content items by non-team members, enabling retroactive control over shared links, thereby enhancing security and administrative convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a content item is uploaded to a server for sharing, then other users can download the content item, but the sharing user loses control over who can access the content item
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-generates unique download links for each invited user before they are added to the team. This preliminary action allows the sharing user to control exactly who can access the content item, as each link is tied to a specific user identity that is verified when the link is used. The user is added to the team in advance, and their unique link is generated, ensuring controlled access from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (unique download links) that mediates between the content item and the users. Instead of direct access to the server, users must use these intermediary links which contain encoded user identifiers. This intermediary layer maintains the ease of sharing while restoring control, as the system can verify the identity of each link user through the intermediary.
2Productivity
If conventional sharing methods are used, then content items can be shared, but unauthorized access and content loss occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-inviting users and generating their unique download links before any content sharing occurs. This ensures that only authorized users receive links and can access content items. The preliminary invitation process includes user verification and link generation, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining efficient sharing through pre-configured access pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making each download link unique and specific to an individual user. Instead of a generic shared access method, each user receives a customized link with their identity embedded. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain high productivity through automated link distribution while ensuring security through user-specific access control.
3Ease of operation
If shared links are made accessible to non-team members, then convenience is improved, but security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the preliminary action of user invitation and verification before generating download links. Non-team members are explicitly invited by the sharing user, and their identities are recorded. The download links are then generated with these verified identities embedded, allowing convenient access for authorized non-team members while preventing unauthorized access through the preliminary verification step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses download links as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between convenience and security. These links provide easy access for authorized users (including non-team members) while simultaneously serving as a security barrier that verifies user identity through the embedded user identifier. The intermediary link system resolves the contradiction by making access convenient through simple link usage while maintaining security through identity verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A content management system implementing methodologies providing retroactive shared content item links is disclosed. The content management system and methodologies allow a team administrator of a team to configure a team-wide shared link policy that determines whether non-team members can access content items associated with team accounts using shared links generated for the content items by team members. The team shared link policy has two settings. In a first setting, the content management system allows non-team members to use shared links generated by team members to access content items associated with team accounts. In a second setting, the content management system blocks access to the content items by non-team members. Shared links are retroactive in the sense they do not need to be regenerated after the team shared link policy has been changed from the second setting back to the first setting.