Systems and methods for opting-out of targeted advertising in an online advertising environment
Systems and methods are disclosed for opting-out of targeted advertising in online advertising environments. One method includes receiving an opt-out verification request, the opt-out verification including an IP address of a user device and HTTP header fields of an HTTP request of the user device; determining a geographic area of the user device based on the IP address of the user device; accessing an opt-out database having entries of user devices that opted-out of receiving targeted advertising based on at least one HTTP header field of the HTTP request; determining whether the user device has opted-out of receiving targeted advertising based on the determined geographic area of the user device, the HTTP header fields of the HTTP quest, and the entries of user devices of the opt-out database; and transmitting a verification acknowledgement when the user device is determined to have opted-out of receiving targeted advertising.
1. A computer-implemented method for opting-out of targeted advertising in online advertising environments, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server, over an electronic network, through a graphical user interface (GUI) of a user device, an automatic opt-out request, selected by the user, the automatic opt-out request corresponding to one or more ad networks and a user-agent value of the web browser on the user device;
hashing, by the server, the user-agent value of the web browser;
generating, by the server, an opt-out value for the opt-out request based on a location of the user device and the hashed user-agent value, the location determined by an IP address of the user device;
encrypting, by an encryption system, the opt-out value using asymmetric key pairs;
verifying, by the server, the opt-out request by comparing the determined location of the user device and an opt-out database; and
based on verifying the opt-out request, transmitting, by the server, to the user device, an opt-out verification acknowledgment and opt-out cookies corresponding to the selected one or more ad networks, the opt-out cookies configured to prevent online tracking of the user device.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the opt-out database is based on at least the encrypted opt-out value.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
decrypting the encrypted opt-out value, wherein accessing the opt-out database is further based on the decrypted opt-out value.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein verifying the opt-out request includes:
comparing, by the server, the determined location to a stored location of an entry of an opt-out database associated with at least the encrypted opt-out value.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the opt-out verification acknowledgment includes a verification failure message when the user device is determined to have not opted-out of receiving targeted advertising.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, by the server, in the opt-out database, a timestamp indicating when the opt-out request was received in an entry of the user device based on at least one HTTP header field of the received opt-out request.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the timestamp further indicates a time and date the opt-out value was generated.
8. A system for opting-out of targeted advertising in online advertising environments, the system comprising:
a data storage device storing instructions for opting-out of targeted advertising in online advertising environments in an electronic storage medium; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:
receiving, at a server, over an electronic network, through a graphical user interface (GUI) of a user device, an automatic opt-out request, selected by the user, the automatic opt-out request corresponding to one or more ad networks and a user-agent value of the web browser on the user device;
hashing, by the server, the user-agent value of the web browser;
generating, by the server, an opt-out value for the opt-out request based on a location of the user device and the hashed user-agent value, the location determined by an IP address of the user device;
encrypting, by an encryption system, the opt-out value using asymmetric key pairs;
verifying, by the server, the opt-out request by comparing the determined location of the user device and an opt-out database; and
based on verifying the opt-out request, transmitting, by the server, to the user device, an opt-out verification acknowledgment and opt-out cookies corresponding to the selected one or more ad networks, the opt-out cookies configured to prevent online tracking of the user device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein accessing the opt-out database is based on at least the encrypted opt-out value.
10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
decrypting the encrypted opt-out value, wherein accessing the opt-out database is further based on the decrypted opt-out value.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein verifying the opt-out request includes:
comparing, by the server, the determined location to a stored location of an entry of an opt-out database associated with at least the encrypted opt-out value.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the transmitting the opt-out verification acknowledgment includes a verification failure message when the user device is determined to have not opted-out of receiving targeted advertising.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is further configured for:
storing, by the server, in the opt-out database, a timestamp indicating when the opt-out request was received in an entry of the user device based on at least one HTTP header field of the received opt-out request.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein accessing the opt-out database is based on at least the encrypted opt-out value.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, causes the computing system to perform a method for opting-out of targeted advertising in online advertising environments, the method including:
receiving, at a server, over an electronic network, through a graphical user interface (GUI) of a user device, an automatic opt-out request, selected by the user, the automatic opt-out request corresponding to one or more ad networks and a user-agent value of the web browser on the user device;
hashing, by the server, the user-agent value of the web browser;
generating, by the server, an opt-out value for the opt-out request based on a location of the user device and the hashed user-agent value, the location determined by an IP address of the user device;
encrypting, by an encryption system, the opt-out value using asymmetric key pairs;
verifying, by the server, the opt-out request by comparing the determined location of the user device and an opt-out database; and
based on verifying the opt-out request, transmitting, by the server, to the user device, an opt-out verification acknowledgment and opt-out cookies corresponding to the selected one or more ad networks, the opt-out cookies configured to prevent online tracking of the user device.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , the method further comprising:
decrypting the encrypted opt-out value, wherein accessing the opt-out database is further based on the decrypted opt-out value.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the transmitting the opt-out verification acknowledgment includes a verification failure message when the user device is determined to have not opted-out of receiving targeted advertising.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , the method further comprising:
storing, by the server, in the opt-out database, a timestamp indicating when the opt-out request was received in an entry of the user device based on at least one HTTP header field of the received opt-out request.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the timestamp further indicates a time and date the opt-out value was generated.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein accessing the opt-out database is based on at least the encrypted opt-out value.