Method and system for forcing e-mail addresses into blind carbon copy (“Bcc”) to enforce privacy

摘要

A system for forcing e-mail addresses into the Bcc: field of transmitted messages in order to enforce user privacy. A user interface enables a user to indicate that their e-mail address is not to be included in a “To:” or “Cc:” field of an e-mail message from another user when the number of e-mail addresses contained in those fields exceeds a threshold size. The user's e-mail address and the associated threshold are stored for future reference when new messages are sent by the other user. Subsequently, when a new message is generated by the other user in which the number of e-mail addresses contained in the “To:” and/or “Cc:” field exceeds the threshold, then the disclosed system moves the user's e-mail address from the “To:” or “Cc:” field to the “Bcc:” field of the message before the message is transmitted to its recipients. Privacy messages may either be sent individually to specific users, or may be automatically generated as a result of a general privacy setting being indicated by the user.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method of providing privacy to an electronic mail user, comprising:
displaying, by a first computer system to said electronic mail user, a user interface object enabling said electronic mail user to indicate a threshold value, wherein said threshold value indicates a maximum number of viewable destination electronic mail addresses that may include an electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user; transmitting, from said first computer system to a second computer system, a message indicating that said electronic mail user desires that said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user be kept private, wherein said message indicating that said electronic mail user desires that said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user be kept private further comprises said threshold value; storing, by said second computer system, responsive to receipt of said message indicating that said electronic mail user desires that said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user be kept private, an indication that said electronic mail user desires that said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user be kept private; and moving, by said second computer system, responsive to said indication that said electronic mail user desires that said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user be kept private, said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user from a first recipient field of an electronic mail message to a second recipient field of said electronic mail message, wherein said moving said electronic mail address associated with said electronic mail user from said first recipient field of said electronic mail message to said second recipient field of said electronic mail message is further responsive to said second computer system determining that a total number of viewable destination electronic mail addresses of said electronic mail message exceeds said threshold value.