# US 12,118,124 B2 · Methods, systems, articles of manufacture and apparatus to privatize consumer data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,124 B2 - Document ID: US12118124B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/354,266 - Filed: 2023-07-18 - Published: 2023-11-09 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-12 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Bruce C. Richardson; Shixiao Li; Martin Quinn; Michael R. Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118124B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/6254: {by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification} - G06F 21/604: {Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems} - H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] - G06F 2221/2115: Third party - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods, systems, articles of manufacture and apparatus to privatize consumer data are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a consumer data acquirer to collect original data corresponding to (a) confidential information associated with consumers and (b) behavior information associated with the consumers, and a data obfuscator. The data obfuscator is to determine a degree to which the original data is to be obfuscated and a type of obfuscation to be applied to the original data based on the original data, generate obfuscation adjustments of the original data based on the degree and the type, and generate an obfuscation model based on the obfuscation adjustments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computing system comprising: a memory storing machine-readable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising: determine a degree to which confidential information can be determined from original data associated with consumers, determine a degree of obfuscation of the original data to decrease the degree to which confidential information can be determined to a threshold degree to which the confidential information can be determined, select a type of obfuscation to be applied to the original data based on the determined degree of obfuscation; and apply the selected type of obfuscation to the original data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: generate an obfuscation model based on the selected type of obfuscation; and apply the selected type of obfuscation to the original data with the obfuscation model. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computing system as defined in claim 2, wherein generating the obfuscation model based on the selected type of obfuscation comprises generating the obfuscation model by applying obfuscation adjustments to the confidential information, the obfuscation adjustments determined based on the degree of obfuscation and the selected type of obfuscation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting the type of obfuscation to be applied to the original data comprises at least one of replacing, substituting or collapsing the original data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting the type of obfuscation to be applied to the original data comprises transposing two or more portions of the original data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein applying the selected type of obfuscation comprises combining additional consumer data to the original data to define combined data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computing system as defined in claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise determining an amount of the additional consumer data to combine with the original data based on the determined degree of obfuscation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the degree to which confidential information can be determined by (i) calculating a similarity index value between (a) first calculated data that is associated with the original data and (b) second calculated data that is associated with the obfuscated original data and (ii) determining whether the similarity index meets or exceeds a similarity threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a network interface via which the computing system is communicatively coupled to a remote server, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the confidential information from the remote server via the network interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the degree of obfuscation is determined based on a privacy agreement. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause performance of operations comprising: determine a degree to which confidential information can be determined from original data associated with consumers, determine a degree of obfuscation of the original data to decrease the degree to which confidential information can be determined to a threshold degree to which the confidential information can be determined, select a type of obfuscation to be applied to the original data based on the determined degree of obfuscation; and apply the selected type of obfuscation to the original data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: generate an obfuscation model based on the selected type of obfuscation; and apply the selected type of obfuscation to the original data with the obfuscation model. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the obfuscation model is generated based on the selected type of obfuscation by applying obfuscation adjustments to the confidential information, the obfuscation adjustments determined based on the degree of obfuscation and the selected type of obfuscation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the selected type of obfuscation is applied to the original data by at least one of replacing, substituting or collapsing the original data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the selected type of obfuscation is applied to the original data by transposing two or more portions of the original data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the selected type of obfuscation is applied to the original data by combining additional consumer data to the original data to define combined data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise determine an amount of the additional consumer data to combine with the original data based on the determined degree of obfuscation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determine the degree to which confidential information can be determined by (i) calculating a similarity index value between (a) first calculated data that is associated with the original data and (b) second calculated data that is associated with the obfuscated original data and (ii) determine whether the similarity index meets or exceeds a similarity threshold. ### Claim 19 A method comprising: determining a degree to which confidential information can be determined from original data associated with consumers; determining a degree of obfuscation of the original data to decrease the degree to which confidential information can be determined to a threshold degree to which the confidential information can be determined; selecting a type of obfuscation to be applied to the original data based on the determined degree of obfuscation; and apply the selected type of obfuscation to the original data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising: generating an obfuscation model based on the selected type of obfuscation; and applying the selected type of obfuscation to the original data with the obfuscation model.