Preserving user privacy
Some embodiments of the invention provide a server apparatus, comprising: a control block comprising at least one processor; at least one data reception unit operable to receive a request to share a picture; at least one storage facility, storing programmed instructions for execution by the control block, the programmed instructions defining an image analysis engine operable to determine that the picture comprises an image of a person; and at least one data transmission unit operable to issue a request to the person, or someone associated with the person, to consent to sharing the image. Other embodiments provide a method, performed by at least one computer. The method comprises: (A) receiving a request to share a picture; (B) determining that the picture comprises an image of a person; and (C) requesting that the person, or someone associated with the person, consent to sharing the image.
1. A computer system, coupled to at least one network, the computer system comprising:
at least one processor programmed to;
receive, via the at least one network, a first request from a first user apparatus to share at least one item of content, the at least one item of content comprising a still image, a moving image, or a still image and a moving image;
determine that the at least one item of content depicts a second user or a person associated with the second user;
prior to sharing the at least one item of content, send, via the at least one network, a second request to a second user apparatus associated with the second user to consent to sharing the at least one item of content;
receive a response to the second request from the second user apparatus; and
if the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus indicates that consent to sharing the at least one item of content is not given, modify the at least one item of content to preserve the anonymity of the second user or the person associated with the second user.
2. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one storage facility configured to store an indication of the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus.
3. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one storage facility configured to store content data depicting the second user, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine that the at least one item of content depicts the second user by comparing the at least one item of content to the content data.
4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to, if the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus indicates consent to sharing the at least one item of content, distribute the at least one item of content.
5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to modify the at least one item of content by blurring a depiction of the second user or the person associated with the second user in the at least one item of content.
6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to modify the at least one item of content by replacing a depiction of the second user or the person associated with the second user in the at least one item of content with at least one avatar.
7. A method comprising acts of:
(A) receiving, by at least one computer via at least one network, a first request from a first user device to share at least one item of content, the at least one item of content comprising a still image, a moving image, or a still image and a moving image;
(B) determining, by the at least one computer, that the at least one item of content depicts a second user or a person associated with the second user;
(C) prior to sharing the at least one item of content, sending, by the at least one computer via the at least one network, a second request to a second user apparatus associated with the second user to consent to sharing the at least one item of content;
(D) receiving, by the at least one computer, a response to the second request from the second user apparatus; and
(E) if the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus indicates that consent to sharing the at least one item of content is not given, modifying, by the at least one computer, the at least one item of content to preserve the anonymity of the second user or the person associated with the second user.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the act (D) comprises storing an indication of the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus in at least one storage facility.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the act (B) comprises the at least one computer determining that the at least one item of content depicts the second user by comparing the at least one item of content to previously stored content data.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the act (E) comprises, if the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus indicates consent to sharing the at least one item of content, the at least one computer distributing the at least one item of content.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the act (E) comprises the at least one computer modifying the at least one item of content by blurring a depiction of the second user or the person associated with the second user in the at least one item of content.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the act (E) comprises the at least one computer modifying the at least one item of content by replacing a depiction of the second user or the person associated with the second user in the at least one item of content with at least one avatar.
13. At least one computer-readable storage device having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed in a computer system coupled to at least one network, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising acts of:
(A) receiving, via the at least one network, a first request from a first user apparatus to share at least one item of content, the at least one item of content comprising a still image, a moving image, or a still image and a moving image;
(B) determining that the at least one item of content depicts a second user or a person associated with the second user;
(C) prior to sharing the at least one item of content, sending, via the at least one network, a second request to a second user apparatus associated with the second user to consent to sharing the at least one item of content;
(D) receiving a response to the second request from the second user apparatus; and
(E) if the response to the second request received from the second user indicates that consent to sharing the at least one item of content is not given, modifying the at least one item of content to preserve the anonymity of the second user or the person associated with the second user.
14. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the act (D) comprises storing an indication of the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus in at least one storage facility.
15. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the act (B) comprises determining that the at least one item of content depicts the second user by comparing the at least one item of content to previously stored content data.
16. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the act (E) comprises, if the response to the second request received from the second user apparatus indicates consent to sharing the at least one item of content, distributing the at least one item of content.
17. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the act (E) comprises modifying the at least one item of content by blurring a depiction of the second user or the person associated with the second user in the at least one item of content.
18. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the act (E) comprises modifying the at least one item of content by replacing a depiction of the second user or the person associated with the second user in the at least one item of content with at least one avatar.