System and method for privacy-aware information extraction and validation

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, using a private data store of an online service provider, private data about each user of a plurality of users of the online service provider, the private data comprising data about online activities of the plurality of users in connection with the online service provider;

receiving, at a computing device of the online service provider and over an electronic communications network, a request from a requester restricted from accessing the private data store, the request is based on a first result derived from publicly-accessible data about a user of the plurality, the request comprising a request to validate the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data indicating an applicability of at least one item of information to the user;

generating, by the computing device and in response to the request, a second result derived from the private data about the user stored in the private data store;

generating, by the computing device and using the second result, a response based on a determination whether the private data about the user validates the first result generated using the publicly-accessible data about the user; and

providing, by the computing device and over the electronic communications network, the response indicating a validity of the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data, the response comprising an indicator of the applicability of the at least one item of information to the user, the response being provided to the requester without divulging any of the private data used to make the determination upon which the response is generated.

2. The method of claim 1 , the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data is inconclusive as to whether or not the at least one item of information is applicable to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data conclusively indicates that the at least one item of information is applicable to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , the second response generation further comprising:

generating the second result from the publicly-accessible data and the private data about the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , the at least one item of information comprising at least one interest of the user.

6. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising:

using, by the at least one computing device, the at least one interest to identify one or more advertisements for presentation to the user.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computing device, that the first result is capable of being derived from the publicly-accessible data before providing the response to the requester.

8. The method of claim 1 , the request is received from a trusted source in a closed system.

9. A system comprising:

at least one computing device, each computing device comprising a processor and a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the stored program logic comprising:

maintaining logic executed by the processor for maintaining, using a private data store of an online service provider, private data about each user of a plurality of users of the online service provider, the private data comprising data about online activities of the plurality of users in connection with the online service provider;

receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, over an electronic communications network, a request from a requester restricted from accessing the private data store, the request is based on a first result derived from publicly-accessible data about a user of the plurality, the request comprising a request to validate the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data indicating an applicability of at least one item of information to the user;

generating logic executed by the processor for generating, in response to the request, a second result derived from the private data about the user stored in the private data store;

generating logic executed by the processor for generating, using the second result, a response based on a determination whether the private data about the user validates the first result generated using the publicly-accessible data about the user; and

providing logic executed by the processor for providing over an electronic communications network, the response indicating a validity of the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data, the response comprising an indicator of the applicability of the at least one item of information to the user, the response being provided to the requester without divulging any of the private data used to make the determination upon which the response is generated.

10. The system of claim 9 , the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data is inconclusive as to whether or not the at least one item of information is applicable to the user.

11. The system of claim 9 , the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data conclusively indicates that the at least one item of information is applicable to the user.

12. The system of claim 9 , the second response generation further comprising:

generating logic executed by the processor for generating the second result from the publicly-accessible data and the private data about the user.

13. The system of claim 9 , the at least one item of information comprising at least one interest of the user.

14. The system of claim 13 , the stored program logic further comprising:

using logic executed by the processor for using the at least one interest to identify one or more advertisements for presentation to the user.

15. The system of claim 9 , the stored program logic further comprising:

determining logic executed by the processor for determining that the first result is capable of being derived from the publicly-accessible data before providing the response to the requester.

16. The system of claim 9 , the request is received from a trusted source in a closed system.

17. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions that when executed cause at least one processor to:

maintain, using a private data store of an online service provider, private data about each user of a plurality of users of the online service provider, the private data comprising data about online activities of the plurality of users in connection with the online service provider;

receive, over an electronic communications network, a request from a requester restricted from accessing the private data store, the request is based on a first result derived from publicly-accessible data about a user of the plurality, the request comprising a request to validate the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data indicating an applicability of at least one item of information to the user;

generate, in response to the request, a second result derived from the private data about the user stored in the private data store;

generate using the second result, a response based on a determination whether the private data about the user validates the first result generated using the publicly-accessible data about the user; and

provide, over the electronic communications network, the response indicating a validity of the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data, the response comprising an indicator of the applicability of the at least one item of information to the user, the response being provided to the requester without divulging any of the private data used to make the determination upon which the response is generated.

18. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 , the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data is inconclusive as to whether or not the at least one item of information is applicable to the user.

19. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 , the first result derived from the publicly-accessible data conclusively indicates that the at least one item of information is applicable to the user.

20. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 , the instructions to generate a second response further comprising instructions to:

generate the second result from the publicly-accessible data and the private data about the user.

21. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 , the at least one item of information comprising at least one interest of the user.

22. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 21 , the instructions further comprising instructions to:

use the at least one interest to identify one or more advertisements for presentation to the user.

23. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 , the instructions further comprising instructions to:

determine that the first result is capable of being derived from the publicly-accessible data before providing the response to the requester.

24. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 , the request is received from a trusted source in a closed system.