Systems and methods for protecting user identity within online content providing environments

1. A computer-implemented method for protecting user identity within online content providing environments, said method comprising:

identifying a request for an online content item associated with an online device, wherein the request includes actual device data for the online device, wherein the actual device data includes actual values representing actual characteristics of the online device for a plurality of characteristic types;

identifying a particular characteristic type of the plurality of characteristic types utilized by a particular online content provider;

analyzing the actual device data to identify the actual value representing the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider;

generating a substitute value that also represents the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider, wherein the substitute value is different than the actual value contained in the actual device data from the request; and

providing the substitute value to the particular online content provider in place of the actual value to convey, without revealing the actual value, the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actual device data includes at least an actual internet protocol (IP) address associated with the online device, wherein generating the substitute value includes obtaining a substitute IP address.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the substitute IP address is one of a complete IP version 4 (IPv4) address or a complete IP version 6 (IPv6) address.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the online content item is an online advertisement, wherein the particular online content provider is a real-time bidder in an auction associated with the request, wherein providing the substitute value includes providing the substitute value during the auction.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the actual device data to identify the actual value representing the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type includes determining a portion of the actual device data that identifies one of (i) a geo-location of the online device, (ii) an internet service provider associated with the online device, or (iii) a connection characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing, in a memory, a mapping of the actual device data to substitute device data;

identifying a later request for another online content item involving the online device;

identifying, from the memory, the substitute device data based at least in part on the actual device data; and

providing the substitute device data to a later online content provider in response to the later request.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining that a pre-determined expiration time has elapsed since storing the mapping; and

deleting the mapping of the actual device data to the substitute device data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the substitute value further includes:

identifying a pool of substitute values that all represent the actual characteristic for the particular characteristic type; and

selecting a random substitute value from the pool of substitute values, thereby generating the substitute value.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying a request for an online content item associated with an online device, wherein the request includes actual device data for the online device, wherein the actual device data includes actual values representing actual characteristics of the online device for a plurality of characteristic types;

identifying a particular characteristic type of the plurality of characteristic types utilized by a particular online content provider;

analyzing the actual device data to identify the actual value representing the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider;

generating a substitute value that also represents the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider, wherein the substitute value is different than the actual value contained in the actual device data from the request; and

providing the substitute value to the particular online content provider in place of the actual value to convey, without revealing the actual value, the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the actual device data includes at least an actual internet protocol (IP) address associated with the online device, wherein generating the substitute value includes obtaining a substitute IP address.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the substitute IP address is one of a complete IP version 4 (IPv4) address or a complete IP version 6 (IPv6) address.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the online content item is an online advertisement, wherein the particular online content provider is a real-time bidder in an auction associated with the request, wherein providing the substitute value includes providing the substitute value during the auction.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the actual device data to identify the actual value representing the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type includes determining a portion of the actual device data that identifies one of (i) a geo-location of the online device, (ii) an internet service provider associated with the online device, or (iii) a connection characteristic.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

storing, in a memory, a mapping of the actual device data to substitute device data;

identifying a later request for another online content item involving the online device;

identifying, from the memory, the substitute device data based at least in part on the actual device data; and

providing the substitute device data to a later online content provider in response to the later request.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a pre-determined expiration time has elapsed since storing the mapping; and

deleting the mapping of the actual device data to the substitute device data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating the substitute value further includes:

identifying a pool of substitute values that all represent the actual characteristic for the particular characteristic type; and

selecting a random substitute value from the pool of substitute values, thereby generating the substitute value.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying a request for an online content item associated with an online device, wherein the request includes actual device data for the online device, wherein the actual device data includes actual values representing actual characteristics of the online device for a plurality of characteristic types;

identifying a particular characteristic type of the plurality of characteristic types utilized by a particular online content provider;

analyzing the actual device data to identify the actual value representing the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider;

generating a substitute value that also represents the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider, wherein the substitute value is different than the actual value contained in the actual device data from the request; and

providing the substitute value to the particular online content provider in place of the actual value to convey, without revealing the actual value, the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider.

18. The system of claim 9 , wherein the actual device data includes at least an actual internet protocol (IP) address associated with the online device, wherein generating the substitute value includes obtaining a substitute IP address.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the actual device data to identify the actual value representing the actual characteristic of the online device for the particular characteristic type utilized by the particular online content provider comprises identifying an IP address of the online device that represents a geographic region of the online device,

wherein the substitute value is a substitute IP address that represents the same geographic region.