Systems and methods for protecting consumer privacy in online environments

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for protecting consumer privacy. According to one implementation, a method is provided for protecting consumer privacy in an online advertising environment. The method includes receiving an ad-related communication with associated ad notice metadata containing information about the ad-related communication, analyzing the ad notice metadata, and executing a consumer privacy response based on the analysis.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A computer-implemented method for protecting consumer privacy in an online environment, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computing device executing online consumer privacy instructions, a communication with associated online notice metadata containing information about the communication;   accessing, with at least one processor, notice rules identifying online notice metadata elements required to be served with online content;   analyzing, with the at least one processor, the online notice metadata associated with the communication to determine whether the communication is missing at least one online notice metadata element required by the notice rules; and   triggering, based upon a determination that the communication is missing at least one notice metadata element required by the notice rules, execution of a consumer privacy response, the consumer privacy response including automatically sending a report of a determined violation of the rules to a reporting system.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the online notice metadata includes an identification of at least one of:
 a content publisher associated with the communication;   a content network associated with the communication;   a content exchange providing matching services associated with the communication;   a data provider providing information about a target of the communication;   a web page associated with the content publisher;   a consumer privacy web page associated with the content network;   a consumer privacy web page associated with the content exchange; and   whether user profiling was used in connection with the communication.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the consumer privacy response further includes at least one of blocking the communication, automatically opting a user out of targeted online communications, or initiating a Do Not Track action. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the communication includes a request for content sent from a web browser of a client device to a content server. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the online notice metadata is contained in a header of the request. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the communication includes a response by a content server to a content request received from a client device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the online notice metadata is contained in a header of the response. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 associating the notice rules with an online regulatory body; and   automatically sending, as part of the consumer privacy response, a report of a determined violation of the rules to a notice reporting system.   
     
     
         30 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method for protecting consumer privacy in an online environment, the method comprising:
 receiving a communication with associated online notice metadata containing information about the communication;   accessing notice rules identifying online notice metadata elements required to be served with online content;   analyzing the online notice metadata associated with the communication to determine whether the communication is missing at least one online notice metadata element required by the notice rules; and   triggering, based upon a determination that the communication is missing at least one online notice metadata element required by the notice rules, a consumer privacy response, the consumer privacy response including automatically sending a report of a determined violation of the rules to a reporting system.   
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the online notice metadata includes an identification of at least one of:
 a content publisher associated with the communication;   a content network associated with the communication;   a content exchange providing matching services associated with the communication;   a data provider providing information about a target of the communication;   a web page associated with the content publisher;   a consumer privacy web page associated with the content network;   a consumer privacy web page associated with the content exchange; and   whether user profiling was used in connection with the communication.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the consumer privacy response further includes at least one of blocking the communication, automatically opting a user out of targeted online communications, or initiating a Do Not Track action. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the communication includes a request for content sent from a web browser of a client device to a content server. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33 , wherein the online notice metadata is contained in a header of the request. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the communication includes a response by a content server to a content request received from a client device. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the online notice metadata is contained in a header of the response. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the set of instructions further include instructions executed by at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 associating the notice rules with an online regulatory body; and   automatically sending, as part of the consumer privacy response, a report of a determined violation of the rules to a notice reporting system.   
     
     
         38 . A computer-implemented method for protecting consumer privacy in an online environment, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computing device executing online consumer privacy instructions, a communication;   receiving online notice metadata associated with the communication and containing information about the origin and nature of the communication;   accessing, with at least one processor, notice rules identifying online notice metadata elements required to be served with online content;   analyzing, with the at least one processor, the online notice metadata to determine whether the communication is missing at least one online notice metadata element required by the notice rules; and   triggering, based upon a determination that the communication is missing at least one online notice metadata element required by the notice rules, execution of a consumer privacy response, the consumer privacy response including automatically sending a report of a determined violation of the rules to a notice reporting system.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the online notice metadata includes an identification of at least one of:
 a content publisher associated with the communication;   a content network associated with the communication;   a content exchange providing matching services associated with the communication;   a data provider providing information about a target of the communication;   a web page associated with the content publisher;   a consumer privacy web page associated with the content network;   a consumer privacy web page associated with the content exchange; and   whether user profiling was used in connection with the communication.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the consumer privacy response further includes at least one of blocking the communication, opting a user out of targeted online communications, or initiating a Do Not Track Action. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the communication includes at least one of a request for content sent from a web browser of a client device to a content server or a response by the content server to the request. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 associating the notice rules with an online regulatory body; and   automatically sending, as part of the consumer privacy response, a report of a determined violation of the rules to a notice reporting system.