System and method for curtailing objectionable behavior in a web-based social network

• US 20080189380A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bosworth, Andrew, Putnam, Chris, Marlette, Scott, Wable, Akhil
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system and method for curtailing objectionable behavior in a web-based social network is disclosed. The method includes monitoring various actions of users of a web-based social network for objectionable behavior. The monitored actions are those that affect other users of the social network. A policy is determined based on behaviors of users. The policy may be violated by a user if the user exceeds a policy threshold. Some monitored actions include the poking, friend requesting, and wall posting. A policy may be violated by multiple occurrences of a single type of action or by a combination of different types of actions. Upon a policy violation, a warning may be issued to the user or the user'"'"'s account may be suspended.

Claims

1. A method for curtailing objectionable behavior in a social network comprising:

receiving from a first user of the social network a current action that affects a second user of the social network;

determining whether a combination of the current action and prior actions by the first user exceeds a policy threshold that is at least partially time dependent; and

taking a corrective action if the threshold is exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current action and the prior actions are friend requests.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current action and the prior actions are wall postings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the current action and the prior actions are pokes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy threshold is for a single type of action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy threshold is for a combination of multiple types of actions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of thresholds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action is a warning sent to the first user to stop the objectionable behavior.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action is a suspension of the right of the first user to take further action.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the suspension of the right of the first user to take further action prevents the first user from further action of the type of action that exceeded the policy threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action is a suspension of the first user'"'"'s account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein there is a higher policy threshold for actions within a specific group of users than for actions outside the specific group.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy threshold has different levels, each level having a corresponding corrective action.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a first threshold is a suspension threshold and the action is suspending the first user'"'"'s actions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a second threshold is a warning threshold and the action is a warning sent to the first user.

16. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computing device for performing a method for curtailing objectionable behavior in a social network, the method comprising:

receiving from a first user of the social network a current action that affects a second user of the social network;

determining whether a combination of the current action and prior actions by the first user exceeds a policy threshold that is at least partially time dependent; and

taking a corrective action if the threshold is exceeded.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the current action and the prior actions are friend requests.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the policy threshold is for a single type of action.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the policy threshold is for a combination of multiple types of actions.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the corrective action is a suspension of the right of the first user to take further action.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein there is a higher policy threshold for actions within a specific group of users than for actions outside the specific group.

22. A system for curtailing objectionable behavior in a social network comprising:

a communication module configured to receive from a first user a current action that affects a second user of the social network;

an accounts module configured to record the current action and associated time stamp information;

a policy module configured to store a policy threshold that is time dependent; and

a violation module configured to determine whether a combination of the current action and the prior actions by the first user exceeds the policy threshold, and to take corrective action if the policy threshold is exceeded.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the current action and the prior actions are friend requests.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the corrective action is a suspension of the right of the first user to take further action.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein there is a higher policy threshold for actions within a specific group of users than for actions outside the specific group.