Systems and methods for protecting user privacy

1. A computer-implemented method for protecting user privacy, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

detecting that a website indicates a user account identifier;

detecting whether a third-party script has access to the user account identifier; and

performing, based at least in part on detecting that the third-party script has access to the user account identifier, a security action to protect user privacy such that the security action facilitates an attempt to prevent the third-party script from actually accessing the user account identifier;

wherein:

the user account identifier comprises an email address;

detecting that the website indicates the user account identifier comprises a detection module, as part of a password manager, checking whether email addresses that are stored in the password manager are actually being displayed within the website;

detecting whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier further comprises hooking a JavaScript function;

performing the security action comprises offering to generate a universally unique identifier email address to use as a substitute for the user account identifier such that a third-party is prevented from performing a privacy-targeting attack; and

the security action of offering to generate the universally unique identifier email address is performed as an alternative in response to a determination by the detection module that obfuscating the email address may break functionality of the website.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the universally unique identifier email address is generated using a domain or subdomain that is managed by a security service that provides software protection that performs the method.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein a user account corresponding to the user account identifier still receives a set of messages because the security service is configured to redirect the set of messages back to the original user account identifier.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the website indicates the user account identifier comprises detecting through a login form that the website requests the user account identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the website indicates the user account identifier comprises detecting that the user account identifier is embedded in text of the website after a user logon procedure has succeeded.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier comprises dividing the website into different contexts.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier comprises checking whether the third-party script contains code that, when executed, reads website content.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising categorizing a purpose of the third-party script.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein categorizing the purpose of the third-party script comprises categorizing the third-party script into at least one of the following categories:

scripts that create identifier cookies;

scripts that generate browser fingerprints;

scripts that perform click replay functions; or

scripts that are not related to online user tracking.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the security action comprises at least one of:

hiding or obfuscating the user account identifier; or

substituting the user account identifier with a privacy-masking user account identifier.

11. A system for protecting user privacy, the system comprising:

a detection module, stored in memory, that:

detects that a website indicates a user account identifier; and

detects whether a third-party script has access to the user account identifier;

a performance module, stored in memory, that performs, based at least in part on detecting that the third-party script has access to the user account identifier, a security action to protect user privacy such that the security action facilitates an attempt to prevent the third-party script from actually accessing the user account identifier; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the detection module and the performance module;

wherein:

the user account identifier comprises an email address;

the detection module is configured to detect that the website indicates the user account identifier at least in part by the detection module, as part of a password manager, checking whether email addresses that are stored in the password manager are actually being displayed within the website;

detecting whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier further comprises hooking a JavaScript function;

the performance module is configured to perform the security action at least in part by offering to generate a universally unique identifier email address to use as a substitute for the user account identifier such that a third-party is prevented from performing a privacy-targeting attack; and

the performance module is configured to perform the security action of offering to generate the universally unique identifier email address as an alternative in response to a determination by the detection module that obfuscating the email address may break functionality of the website.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the detection module detects whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier comprises an extension of a browser detecting that the third-party script has access to the user account identifier through the browser.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user account identifier comprises at least one of:

an email address; or

a social networking user account identifier.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the detection module detects that the website indicates the user account identifier by detecting through a login form that the website requests the user account identifier.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the detection module detects that the website indicates the user account identifier by detecting that the user account identifier is embedded in text of the website after a user logon procedure has succeeded.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the detection module detects whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier by dividing the website into different contexts.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the detection module detects whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier by checking whether the third-party script contains code that, when executed, reads website content.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the performance module further categorizes a purpose of the third-party script.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the performance module categorizes the purpose of the third-party script by categorizing the third-party script into at least one of the following categories:

scripts that create identifier cookies;

scripts that generate browser fingerprints;

scripts that perform click replay functions; or

scripts that are not related to online user tracking.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

detect that a website indicates a user account identifier;

detect whether a third-party script has access to the user account identifier; and

perform, based at least in part on detecting that the third-party script has access to the user account identifier, a security action to protect user privacy such that the security action facilitates an attempt to prevent the third-party script from actually accessing the user account identifier;

wherein:

the user account identifier comprises an email address;

detecting that the website indicates the user account identifier comprises a detection module, as part of a password manager, checking whether email addresses that are stored in the password manager are actually being displayed within the website;

detecting whether the third-party script has access to the user account identifier further comprises hooking a JavaScript function;

performing the security action comprises offering to generate a universally unique identifier email address to use as a substitute for the user account identifier such that a third-party is prevented from performing a privacy-targeting attack; and

the security action of offering to generate the universally unique identifier email address is performed as an alternative in response to a determination by the detection module that obfuscating the email address may break functionality of the website.