Methods and systems for restricting electronic content access based on guardian control decisions
View Patent ↗Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided to facilitate a second user to allow or deny a first user, such as a child, from accessing content by proving the second user with a content profile based on decisions made by other users with respect to the content. In one implementation, a system allows the second user to set a threshold to automatically allow or deny access based on the other users' decisions. The decisions made by other users are aggregated into information that may be based on similarities between the child and other children from whom other users have previously made decisions regarding the particular content. In addition, the aggregation may more heavily weight decisions by users that have a history of making similar decisions to the second user.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the stages of:
receiving a request for a content profile, the request including a content identifier and a first user identifier, the content identifier identifying electronic content and the first user identifier identifying a first user;
aggregating a plurality of control decision records associated with the content identifier, the plurality of control decision records comprising past decisions of a plurality of guardians for a plurality of different users in controlling access to the identified content, wherein each control decision record granted or denied one of the plurality of different users access to the electronic content;
creating a content profile for the electronic content that includes a result of the aggregated control decision records that are associated with the content identifier, the content profile including an indication of a percentage of guardians that have allowed access to the electronic content;
sending a first communication containing the content profile and the result to a first guardian;
receiving a first guardian decision from the first guardian, granting or denying the first user access to content associated with the content identifier; and
creating a new control decision record associated with the content identifier, the new control decision record including the first guardian decision and being aggregated as part of future requests for the content profile.
2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein aggregating the information includes giving more weight to control decisions made for users that are similar to the first user.
3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the similarity is based on at least one of age, gender, nationality, religion, education grouping, or locality.
4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the aggregating the information includes giving more weight to control decisions made by guardians that have made other past decisions that match past decisions of the second user relative to a plurality of other electronic content.
5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the aggregating the information includes giving less weight to control decisions made by guardians that have made other past decisions that are different than past decisions of the second user relative to a plurality of other electronic content.
6. A system for controlling access to electronic content by a first user of an electronic device, the system comprising:
a database for storing a first plurality of control decision records based on decisions received from a plurality of guardians; and
a server in communication with the database and operable to:
receive a request for a content profile, the request including a content identifier and a first user identifier, the content identifier identifying electronic content and the first user identifier identifying a first user;
aggregate a plurality of control decision records made for the content identifier, the plurality of control decision records comprising past decisions of a plurality of guardians for a plurality of different users in controlling access to the identified content, wherein each control decision record granted or denied one of the plurality of different users access to the electronic content;
create a content profile for the electronic content that includes a result of the aggregated control decision records that are associated with the content identifier, the content profile including an indication of a percentage of guardians that have allowed access to the electronic content; and
send a first communication containing the content profile and the result to a first guardian;
receive a first guardian decision from the first guardian, granting or denying the first user access to content associated with the content identifier; and
create a new control decision record associated with the content identifier, the new control decision record including the first guardian decision and being aggregated as part of future requests for the content profile.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein aggregating the information includes giving more weight to control decisions made for users that are similar to the first user.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the similarity is based on at least one of age, gender, nationality, religion, education grouping, or locality.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the aggregating the information includes giving more weight to control decisions made by guardians that have made other past decisions that match past decisions of the second user relative to a plurality of other electronic content.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the aggregating the information includes giving less weight to control decisions made by guardians that have made other past decisions that are different than past decisions of the second user relative to a plurality of other electronic content.
11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the server is further operable to:
receive a first guardian decision from the first guardian, granting or denying the first user access to content associated with the content identifier; and
create a new control decision record associated with the content identifier, the new control decision record including the first guardian decision and being aggregated as part of future requests for the content profile.