Webpage Component Segmentation for Privacy Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users' personal information is often sent to unknown computers without their knowledge or consent when interacting with webpages and applications, leading to privacy leaks and security risks, as existing technologies fail to distinguish between online and offline components within applications and webpages, resulting in unintended data transmission.
Innovation Solution
Implementing systems and methods that convert webpage components from an online to an offline status, buffer sensitive information inputs, and require user approval before transmitting data, using techniques such as browser extensions, operating systems, and encryption to control and secure the uploading of potentially sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If webpage components are kept in online status to enable data transmission functionality, then data upload capability is improved, but user privacy and security deteriorate due to unintended sensitive information transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The webpage is segmented into online components and offline components. Online components can transmit data to remote computers, while offline components cannot. This segmentation allows the system to maintain data upload capability for non-sensitive functions while preventing unintended transmission of sensitive information, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by converting components to offline status before sensitive information is entered. The browser extension proactively identifies sensitive input fields and prevents online transmission capability from being activated, thereby preventing privacy leakage before it can occur while maintaining the ability to upload data when appropriate.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If all webpage components are converted to offline status to prevent sensitive information transmission, then user privacy is improved, but data upload functionality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than converting all components to offline status, the system segments components based on their sensitivity requirements. Non-sensitive components remain online to maintain data upload functionality, while only components handling sensitive information are converted to offline status. This selective approach preserves necessary productivity while protecting privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The offline status is applied locally to specific components rather than globally to the entire webpage. Each component's online/offline status is determined by its specific function and sensitivity requirements, allowing data upload capability to be maintained where appropriate while preventing privacy leakage only where necessary.
3Ease of operation
If the system buffers and requests user approval for all data transmissions, then user control and privacy are improved, but system complexity and user interaction overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary conversion of components to offline status based on pre-defined sensitivity criteria, so that user approval is only required for transmissions involving sensitive information. This preliminary action reduces the frequency of user approval requests while maintaining user control over sensitive data, thereby improving ease of operation without excessive system complexity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the system automatically identifies and protects sensitive information fields, then privacy protection is improved, but detection accuracy and system complexity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Web developers use standard HTML tags and attributes to self-identify sensitive information fields within their webpages. The browser extension detects these pre-marked fields and automatically applies offline protection. This self-service approach improves privacy protection while reducing detection complexity, as the system relies on developer-provided markers rather than attempting to autonomously identify sensitive information.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for controlling uploading of potentially sensitive information to the Internet may include (i) loading, at the computing device, at least a portion of a webpage and (ii) performing a security action including (A) converting, at the computing device, components of the webpage from an online status to an offline status, (B) receiving a sensitive information input to a respective offline component of the webpage, (C) converting, based on a stored user preference and in response to receiving the sensitive information input, the respective offline component to the online status, (D) buffering an outgoing network request comprising the sensitive information input, (E) receiving an approval input indicating approval to transmit the potentially sensitive information to the Internet, and (F) releasing the outgoing network request in response to receiving the approval input. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.