Method and system for distributed control of user privacy preferences

A system for managing data preferences, said system comprising:

• a processor;
• a data bus coupled to said processor;
• and
• a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for:
• designating a preference for a plurality of data types in order to handle said plurality of data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data types;
• assembling an application programming interface to permit a plurality of sites to discover at least a user preference, a field name, and a category of data recognizable by said plurality of sites;
• and
• adding new data field to accommodate changes with respect to a technology and a legal restriction on data usage to provide consistency and increase privacy by reducing an opportunity for leakage of privacy data thereof.

A processor-readable medium storing computer code representing instructions to cause a process for managing data preferences, said computer code comprising code to:

• designate a preference for a plurality of data types in order to handle said plurality of data types with a different level of privacy than other similar data types;
• assemble an application programming interface to permit a plurality of sites to discover at least a user preference, a field name, and a category of data recognizable by said plurality of sites;
• and
• add new data field to accommodate changes with respect to a technology and a legal restriction on data usage to provide consistency and increase privacy by reducing an opportunity for leakage of privacy data thereof.