Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to third-party privacy complaint target systems
Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to a third-party privacy compliant target system. A privacy policy is configured for and mapped to each of a multiplicity of mobile application concerns, with each privacy policy comprising rules regulating the transmission of information to a third-party privacy compliant target system. Instrumentation instructions can be integrated with a mobile application and provided to a mobile device. The instrumentation instructions direct the mobile application to submit a privacy policy request comprising a mobile application identifier from the mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system and enable sending information from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliant target system, subject to the privacy policy. The privacy policy request is received at the third-party privacy compliance system which selects the privacy policy based on an application identifier and sends the privacy policy to the mobile device for implementation.
1. A computer-implemented method for selectively regulating transmission of information from a mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system, the method comprising:
configuring a privacy policy at a third-party privacy compliance system for each of a plurality of mobile application vendors' software installation cohorts, wherein each respective privacy policy comprises one or more rules for regulating transmission of information collected by the mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system, the third-party privacy compliance system being a third party system with respect to each of the plurality of mobile application vendors and each privacy policy is mapped to a respective identifier, each respective identifier common to a plurality of mobile devices of a software installation cohort;
providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for:
sending a privacy policy request comprising the identifier of the mobile application's software installation cohort from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system;
collecting information by the mobile application;
responsive to receiving the privacy policy from the third-party privacy compliance system, selecting, at the mobile device, privacy-compliant information from the collected information in compliance with the received policy; and
sending the privacy-compliant information from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system;
receiving the privacy policy request at the third-party privacy compliance system from the mobile device, the privacy policy request comprising an identifier of a mobile application's software installation cohort;
selecting the privacy policy at the third-party privacy compliance system based on the received identifier; and
sending the privacy policy from the third-party privacy compliance system to the mobile device for implementation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the third-party privacy compliance system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
invalidating the privacy policy, after an end of a mobile application use-session.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
detecting the absence of a valid privacy policy; and
sending a new privacy policy request from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
detecting that advertising tracking for the mobile device has been disabled; and
prohibiting transmission of all information to the third-party privacy compliance system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
detecting that advertising tracking for the mobile device has been disabled; and
initiating generation of a new application installation identifier, for one or more mobile applications integrated with the implementation instructions on the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
at least one rule is configured by a third-party privacy compliance system operator.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
at least one rule is configured by a mobile application vendor.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
at least one rule is configured by a mobile device operator.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
the at least one rule configured by a mobile device operator is managed on the mobile device and is not transmitted to the third-party privacy compliance system.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise:
instructions for receiving a mobile device operator configured rule; and
enabling global application of the mobile device operator configured rule to all mobile applications integrated with instrumentation instructions from the third-party privacy compliance system on the mobile device.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the collected information comprises a mobile application status.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the collected information comprises a history of interaction with the mobile application.
14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium executing computer program instructions for selectively regulating transmission of information from a mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for:
configuring a privacy policy at a third-party privacy compliance system for each of a plurality of mobile application vendors' software installation cohorts, wherein each respective privacy policy comprises one or more rules for regulating transmission of information collected by the mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system, the third-party privacy compliance system being a third party system with respect to each of the plurality of mobile application vendors and each privacy policy is mapped to a respective identifier, each respective identifier common to a plurality of mobile devices of a software installation cohort;
providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for:
sending a privacy policy request comprising the identifier of the mobile application's software installation cohort from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system;
collecting information by the mobile application;
responsive to receiving the privacy policy from the third-party privacy compliance system, selecting, at the mobile device, privacy-compliant information from the collected information in compliance with the received policy; and
sending the privacy-compliant information from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system;
receiving the privacy policy request at the third-party privacy compliance system from the mobile device, the privacy policy request comprising an identifier of a mobile application's software installation cohort;
selecting the privacy policy at the third-party privacy compliance system based on the received identifier; and
sending the privacy policy from the third-party privacy compliance system to the mobile device for implementation.
15. The medium of claim 14 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the third-party privacy compliance system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.
16. The medium of claim 14 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
invalidating the privacy policy, after an end of a mobile application use-session.
17. The medium of claim 14 wherein:
at least one rule is configured by a mobile device operator.
18. The medium of claim 14 wherein:
the collected information comprises a mobile application status.
19. The medium of claim 14 wherein:
the collected information comprises a history of interaction with the mobile application.
20. A system comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable computer program instructions for selectively regulating transmission of information from a mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system, the instructions comprising instructions for:
configuring a privacy policy at a third-party privacy compliance system for each of a plurality of mobile application vendors' software installation cohorts, wherein each respective privacy policy comprises one or more rules for regulating transmission of information collected by the mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system, the third-party privacy compliance system being a third party system with respect to each of the plurality of mobile application vendors and each privacy policy is mapped to a respective identifier, each respective identifier common to a plurality of mobile devices of a software installation cohort;
providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for:
sending a privacy policy request comprising the identifier of the mobile application's software installation cohort from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system;
collecting information by the mobile application;
responsive to receiving the privacy policy from the third-party privacy compliance system, selecting, at the mobile device, privacy-compliant information from the collected information in compliance with the received policy; and
sending the privacy-compliant information from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliance system;
receiving the privacy policy request at the third-party privacy compliance system from the mobile device, the privacy policy request comprising an identifier of a mobile application's software installation cohort;
selecting the privacy policy at the third-party privacy compliance system based on the received identifier; and
sending the privacy policy from the third-party privacy compliance system to the mobile device for implementation.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein:
at least one rule is configured by a mobile device operator.
22. The system of claim 20 wherein:
the collected information comprises a mobile application status.
23. The system of claim 20 wherein:
the collected information comprises a history of interaction with the mobile application.