Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to third-party privacy compliant 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 method comprising:
providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for:
detecting, at the mobile device, an operator-configured privacy policy restriction configured by an operator of the mobile device;
responsive to detecting an absence, at the mobile device, of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, requesting a privacy policy from a compliance system by the mobile device, the request comprising the operator-configured privacy policy restriction and a respective identifier of a software installation cohort representing a plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;
receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy from the compliance system, the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy comprising a rule for regulating transmission of information from the mobile device to the partner system consistent with the operator-configured privacy policy restriction;
selecting information in compliance with the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and
sending the selected information to the partner system;
responsive to receiving the request at the compliance system from the mobile device, selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy according to the identifier of the software installation cohort and the operator-configured privacy policy restriction of the request; and
sending the selected valid compliance system-configured privacy policy to the mobile device.
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 partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy at the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
invalidating the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, after an end of a use session.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy,
discarding, the operator-configured privacy policy restriction of the request.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein:
the operator-configured privacy policy restriction of the request is discarded before the customized privacy policy is sent to the mobile device.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
responsive to receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, detecting information at the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
transforming information at the mobile device according to the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and wherein
selecting information comprises selecting transformed information.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected information comprises geolocation information.
9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium executing computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for:
providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for:
detecting, at the mobile device, an operator-configured privacy policy restriction configured by an operator of the mobile device;
responsive to detecting an absence, at the mobile device, of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, requesting a privacy policy from a compliance system by the mobile device, the request comprising the operator-configured privacy policy restriction and a respective identifier of a software installation cohort representing a plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;
receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy from the compliance system, the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy comprising a rule for regulating transmission of information from the mobile device to the partner system consistent with the operator-configured privacy policy restriction;
selecting information in compliance with the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and
sending the selected information to the partner system;
responsive to receiving the request from the mobile device, selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy according to the identifier of the software installation cohort; and
sending the selected valid compliance system-configured privacy policy to the mobile device.
10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.
11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
invalidating the privacy policy, after an end of a use session.
12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
responsive to receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, detecting information at the mobile device.
13. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
transforming information at the mobile device according to the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and wherein
selecting information comprises selecting transformed information.
14. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the selected information comprises geolocation information.
15. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable computer program instructions, the instructions comprising instructions for:
providing instrumentation instructions for integration with a mobile application and operation by a mobile device, wherein the instrumentation instructions comprise instructions for
detecting, at the mobile device, an operator-configured privacy policy restriction configured by an operator of the mobile device;
responsive to detecting an absence, at the mobile device, of a valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, requesting a privacy policy from a compliance system by the mobile device, the request comprising the operator-configured privacy policy restriction and a respective identifier of a software installation cohort representing a plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;
receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy from the compliance system, the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy comprising a rule for regulating transmission of information from the mobile device to the partner system consistent with the operator-configured privacy policy restriction;
selecting information in compliance with the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and
sending the selected information to the partner system;
responsive to receiving the request from the mobile device, selecting the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy according to the identifier of the software installation cohort; and
sending the selected valid compliance system-configured privacy policy to the mobile device.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
implementing a default privacy policy for regulating transmission of information to the partner system, at the mobile device, for use in the absence of a valid privacy policy at the mobile device.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
responsive to receiving the valid compliance system-configured privacy policy, detecting information at the mobile device.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instrumentation instructions further comprise instructions for:
transforming information at the mobile device according to the received valid compliance system-configured privacy policy; and wherein
selecting information comprises selecting transformed information.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the selected information comprises geolocation information.