Methods and Systems for Untargeting Users of an Online Service for Advertising

Abstract

A method to untarget users of an online service for advertising includes embedding a first code corresponding to a first pixel in a version of a webpage and providing the version of the webpage for loading by a client device. Loading of the version of the webpage by the client device triggers execution of the first code. Furthermore, execution of the first code by the client device signals an advertising platform to forgo providing one or more advertisements for a service associated with the server system to the client device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 at a server system having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors:
 embedding a first executable code corresponding to a first pixel in a version of a webpage; 
 providing the version of the webpage for loading by a client device, in response to a request from the client device for the webpage, wherein:
 rendering of the first pixel while loading the version of the webpage by the client device triggers execution of the first executable code by the client device; and 
 execution of the first executable code by the client device signals an advertising platform, distinct from the server system, without communicating with the server system and without receiving any request from the advertising platform, to forgo providing one or more advertisements, for a service associated with the server system, to the client device. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding the client device to a list of client devices that are ineligible to receive advertisements for the service from the advertising platform. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the first executable code by the client device provides one or more identifiers associated with the client device to the advertising platform. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the first executable code by the client device prompts the advertising platform to provide a cookie to the client device, the cookie comprising an identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request is a first request of a plurality of requests for the webpage received from the client device over a period of time and the version is a first version of the webpage, the method further comprising, at the server system:
 providing a second version of the webpage to the client device in response to additional requests of the plurality of requests received from the client device over the period of time, wherein the second version does not include the first executable code.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first request is an initial request during the period of time; and   the additional requests are subsequent requests during the period of time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, at the server system:
 providing the version of the webpage for loading by a plurality of client devices, in response to respective requests from the plurality of client devices for the webpage, wherein:
 loading of the version of the webpage by the plurality of client devices triggers execution of the first executable code by the plurality of client devices; and 
 execution of the first executable code by the plurality of client devices signals the advertising platform to forgo providing one or more advertisements for the service associated with the server system to the plurality of client devices. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the service associated with the server system is a social media platform; and   the webpage is a homepage of the social media platform.   
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 at a client device having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors:
 requesting a webpage from a server system in response to detecting a user request for the webpage; 
 receiving a version of the webpage from the server system, wherein the version of the webpage includes first executable code corresponding to a first pixel embedded in the version of the webpage; and 
 in response to receiving the version of the webpage from the server system:
 rendering the first pixel, thereby executing the first executable code, which signals an advertising platform, distinct from the server system, without communicating with the server system and without receiving any request from the advertising platform, to forgo providing one or more advertisements, for a service associated with the server system, to the client device. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving a cookie from the advertising platform in response to executing the first executable code, the cookie comprising an identifier. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein executing the first executable code further comprises providing one or more identifiers associated with the client device to the advertising platform. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the version is a first version of the webpage, the method further comprising, at the client device:
 sending one or more requests for the webpage to the server system in response to detecting one or more respective additional user requests for the webpage; and   in response to the one or more requests, receiving one or more instances of a second version of the webpage from the server system, wherein the second version of the webpage does not include the first executable code.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 receiving the first version of the webpage comprises receiving a first instance of the first version of the webpage during a period of time;   receiving the one or more instances of the second version of the webpage is performed during the period of time; and   the method further comprises, after expiration of the period of time:
 sending a new request for the webpage to the server system in response to detecting a new user request for the webpage, and 
 in response to the new request, receiving a second instance of the first version of the webpage. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 receiving the first instance of the first version of the webpage is performed in response to an initial user request for the webpage during the period of time; and   the one or more additional requests are subsequent to the initial user request during the period of time.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the service associated with the server system is a social media platform; and   the webpage is a homepage of the social media platform.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a server system, the one or more programs including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the server system to:
 embed a first executable code corresponding to a first pixel in a version of a webpage;   provide the version of the webpage for loading by a client device in response to a request from the client device for the webpage, wherein:
 rendering of the first pixel while loading the version of the webpage by the client device triggers execution of the first executable code by the client device; and 
 execution of the first executable code by the client device signals an advertising platform, distinct from the server system, without communicating with the server system and without receiving any request from the advertising platform, to forgo providing one or more advertisements, for a service associated with the server system, to the client device. 
   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the server system to add the client device to a list of client devices that are ineligible to receive advertisements for the service from the advertising platform. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein execution of the first executable code by the client device provides one or more identifiers associated with the client device to the advertising platform. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein execution of the first executable code by the client device prompts the advertising platform to provide a cookie to the client device, the cookie comprising an identifier. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the request is a first request of a plurality of requests for the webpage received from the client device over a period of time and the version is a first version of the webpage, and wherein the one or more programs further include instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the server system to:
 provide a second version of the webpage to the client device in response to additional requests of the plurality of requests received from the client device over the period of time, wherein the second version does not include the first executable code.