Data policies for online services
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsArie Friedman, Hadas Bitran, Uri Barash, Marc Davis, Oded Nahir
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An online service may maintain or create data for a user, and a user may be allowed to exert control over how the data are used. In one example, there may be several categories of data, and the user may be able to specify who may use the data, and the purpose for which the data may be used. Additionally, a user may be able to see how many of his “friends” (or other contacts) have extended trust to a particular entity, which may aid the user in making a decision about whether to extend trust to that entity. User interfaces may be provided to allow users to specify how their data are to be used.
Claims20
A computer-readable medium having executable instructions to control use of data that is maintained on or by a service, the executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform acts comprising:
- presenting a user interface to a user, the user interface comprising an entity with whom data is to be shared, a plurality of categories of data and a plurality of purposes for which the user may grant the entity permission to access the data;
- receiving, from the user, an indication of usage restrictions on data that the service maintains for the user, the indication comprising a selection for each combination of a category and a purpose, whether the entity with whom data is to be shared is permitted to use data falling into the category for the purpose;
- applying the usage restrictions to data that the service maintains for the user;
- and
- enforcing the usage restrictions.
A method of allowing a user to control use of data on an online service, the method comprising:
- using a processor to perform acts comprising:
- presenting a first user interface to a user, the first user interface comprising at least:
- an identify of at least one entity which may be granted access to the user's data;
- a plurality of data categories and a plurality of purposes for which the user's data can be used;
- and
- a selection mechanism for each category and purpose combination, the selection of which indicates that the at least one entity may access the data category for the corresponding purpose;
- receiving, from the user, selections for each combination, the selections together comprising usage restrictions;
- applying, to the data, the usage restrictions;
- and
- enforcing the usage restrictions.
A system that allows a user to control use of data on a service, the system comprising:
- a memory;
- a processor;
- a display;
- and
- a component that is stored in said memory, that executes on said processor, and that displays, on said display, a user interface that shows categories of data and purposes for which data can be used, said user interface allowing a user of said service provide an indication, for an entity, which categories of data that said service maintains for said user can be used by said entity and which purposes data in each category can be used, said component applying said indication to said data that said service maintains for said user, said component enforcing, based on said indication, restrictions on how said entity can use said data that said service maintains for said user, said user interface indicating, for said entity, how many friends or contacts of said user trust said entity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.