Selective replacement of information within communication metadata
AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.
InventorJay Stark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are techniques that provide privacy protection for a user by preventing user device tracking via device fingerprints. A communication may be received from a user device that includes metadata having information related to the user device. An intended recipient of the communication may be identified. Based on one or more of the user device or the recipient, a determination may be made as to what data within the metadata should be scrambled or selectively replaced. The data may then be overwritten with alternative data that may be selected at random, and the communication is forwarded to the recipient.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a telecommunication network, a communication originating from a user device and directed to a recipient device;
- determining, by the telecommunication network, one or more data fields to be replaced within a metadata for the communication;
- decrypting current data values within the one or more data fields to be replaced within the metadata for the communication;
- selecting, by the telecommunication network, replacement data values for the one or more data fields to be replaced within the metadata for the communication;
- overwriting, by the telecommunication network, the decrypted current data values within the one or more data fields with the selected replacement data values;
- re-encrypting the overwritten data values within the one or more data fields;
- and
- forwarding, by the telecommunication network, the communication with the encrypted overwritten data values to the recipient device.
A computing device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory including instructions that, when executed with the processor, cause the computing device to, at least:
- receive a communication originating from a user device and directed to a recipient device;
- determine one or more data fields to be replaced within a metadata for the communication;
- decrypt current data values within the one or more data fields to be replaced within the metadata for the communication;
- select replacement data values for the one or more data fields to be replaced within the metadata for the communication;
- overwrite the decrypted current data values within the one or more data fields with the selected replacement data values;
- re-encrypt the overwritten data values within the one or more data fields;
- and
- forward the communication with the overwritten data values to the recipient device.
A non-transitory computer-readable media collectively storing computer-executable instructions that upon execution cause one or more computing devices to collectively perform acts comprising:
- receiving a communication originating from a user device and directed to a recipient device;
- determining one or more data fields to be replaced within a metadata for the communication;
- decrypting current data values within the one or more data fields to be replaced within the metadata for the communication;
- selecting replacement data values for the one or more data fields to be replaced within the metadata for the communication;
- overwriting the decrypted current data values within the one or more data fields with the selected replacement data values;
- re-encrypting the overwritten data values within the one or more data fields;
- and
- forwarding the communication with the overwritten data values to the recipient device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.