# US 12,001,591 B2 · Methods and systems for protecting data integrity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,001,591 B2 - Document ID: US12001591B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/333,003 - Filed: 2023-06-12 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-26 - Assignees: Salesforce, Inc. - Applicants: salesforce.com, inc. - Inventors: John Walter Taschek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001591B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Disclosed implementations may include receiving a first communication comprising first content generated by a first user; identifying authentication metadata embedded within the first communication; receiving a second communication generated by a second user, wherein the second communication comprises second content and the authentication metadata; decoding the authentication metadata from the second communication; parsing the first content of the first communication and the second content of the second communication; determining that the first content is different than the second content based at least in part on the parsing; and generating an alteration notification based at least in part on the determining. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by an application server, a first communication comprising first content generated by a first user; identifying authentication metadata embedded within the first communication, the authentication metadata comprising data associated with the first user; receiving, by the application server, a second communication generated by a second user, the second communication comprising second content and the authentication metadata; determining if the authentication metadata from the second communication belongs to the first user by at least processing the authentication metadata from the second communication and the authentication metadata from the first communication; parsing, by the application server, the first content of the first communication and the second content of the second communication; comparing, by the application server, the first content with the second content in response to determining that the authentication metadata from the second communication belongs to the first user; determining that the first content is different than the second content based at least in part on the parsing and the comparing; and based at least in part on the determining that the first content is different than the second content, sharing, on a social network system, a version of the second communication, the version comprising an alteration notification indicating that information of the second content has been altered. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: embedding, by the application server, the authentication metadata into the first communication. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authentication metadata comprises: decoding the authentication metadata in the received first communication. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication metadata comprises location information associated with the first user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication metadata embedded within the first communication indicates an identity of the first user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: preventing display of the second communication based at least in part on the determining that the first content is different than the second content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication comprises an edited version of the first communication. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a memory; and one or more hardware processors configured to cause: obtaining a first communication comprising first content generated by a first user; identifying authentication metadata embedded within the first communication, the authentication metadata comprising data associated with the first user; obtaining a second communication generated by a second user, the second communication comprising second content and the authentication metadata; determining if the authentication metadata from the second communication belongs to the first user by at least processing the authentication metadata from the second communication and the authentication metadata from the first communication; parsing the first content of the first communication and the second content of the second communication; comparing the first content with the second content in response to determining that the authentication metadata from the second communication belongs to the first user; determining that the first content is different than the second content based at least in part on the parsing and the comparing; and based at least in part on the determining that the first content is different than the second content, sharing, on a social network system, a version of the second communication, the version comprising an alteration notification indicating that information of the second content has been altered. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the one or more hardware processors further configured to cause: embedding the authentication metadata into the first communication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein identifying the authentication metadata comprises: decoding the authentication metadata in the obtained first communication. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the authentication metadata comprises location information associated with the first user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the authentication metadata embedded within the first communication indicates an identity of the first user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the one or more hardware processors further configured to cause: preventing display of the second communication based at least in part on the determining that the first content is different than the second content. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the second communication comprises an edited version of the first communication. ### Claim 15 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors, the program code comprising instructions configured to cause: obtaining a first communication comprising first content generated by a first user; identifying authentication metadata embedded within the first communication, the authentication metadata comprising data associated with the first user; obtaining a second communication generated by a second user, the second communication comprising second content and the authentication metadata; determining if the authentication metadata from the second communication belongs to the first user by at least processing the authentication metadata from the second communication and the authentication metadata from the first communication; parsing the first content of the first communication and the second content of the second communication; comparing the first content with the second content in response to determining that the authentication metadata from the second communication belongs to the first user; determining that the first content is different than the second content based at least in part on the parsing and the comparing; and based at least in part on the determining that the first content is different than the second content, sharing, on a social network system, a version of the second communication, the version comprising an alteration notification indicating that information of the second content has been altered. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions further configured to cause: embedding the authentication metadata into the first communication. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein identifying the authentication metadata comprises: decoding the authentication metadata in the obtained first communication. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the authentication metadata comprises location information associated with the first user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the authentication metadata embedded within the first communication indicates an identity of the first user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions further configured to cause: preventing display of the second communication based at least in part on the determining that the first content is different than the second content.