Domain specific browser identifiers as replacement of browser cookies

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a secure, user-transparent, and highly efficient content provider-specific identifier("CPSID"), sometimes referred to as a "read-only cookie" ("ROC"). These content provider-specific identifiers may be generated by the client device and encrypted with a public key of the content provider, preventing third parties from indirectly identifying matches, and obviating the need for provider-side cookie matching tables and resource-intensive tracking communications. The generation of content provider- specific identifiers may be controlled by user policies, such that identifiers are only created for content providers with compliant terms of service (ToS), e.g. retrievable from a predetermined address within the domain; content providers that are on a whitelist (e.g. for which the user has explicitly provided consent); and / or content providers that are not on a blacklist (e.g. for which the user has explicitly refused consent).

Description

Background technique [0001] A browser cookie or short device, user or session specific identifier used to uniquely (or semi-uniquely) identify a device, user or session with a content provider such as a web page publisher, advertiser or other such entity. These cookies are typically generated by the content provider, for example during the first session or login process, and served on subsequent requests from the client device's browser or other applications. Publishers can then associate each request with the same identifier (and implicitly, the same device, user, or session), allowing customized content selection. [0002] However, typical browser cookies have some serious drawbacks. Third-party content providers that provide embedded content within websites may serve cookies to track browsers without users having to know that they have been identified or tracked by these third parties (for example, because the address displayed in the browser's address bar may only identif...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

For a typical page with ten or more embedded tracking pixels, it can take a significant amount of time to perform these communications

Matches may not be recognized if the user navigates away from the page before the communication is complete

As a result, cookie matching is slow and often incomplete, slowing down the rendering of web pages, consuming bandwidth and reducing battery life

In addition, cookie matching allows third-party entities to track online behavior in a non-transparent manner without users providing explicit consent, which poses a threat to user privacy

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