Systems and methods for validating members of social networking groups

• US 9,026,601 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Gauvin, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Ruolei
• Application Number:
  US13/796,179
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/204, 709223-225, 705/319, 706/22, 706/25
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for validating members of social networking groups may include identifying a named social networking group with a plurality of members on a social networking platform, creating a social graph of the named social networking group based at least in part on a plurality of connections on the social networking platform between a plurality of members of the named social networking group, determining a connecting member of the named social networking group that exceeds a predetermined threshold of connections within the social network group, removing the connecting member of the named social networking group from the social graph, and determining that a disconnected member of the social graph may not be a valid member of the named social networking group, based on the disconnected member not meeting a second predetermined threshold of connections within the social graph. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for validating members of social networking groups, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying a named social networking group on a social networking platform, the named social networking group comprising a plurality of members of the social networking platform;

creating a social graph of the named social networking group based at least in part on a plurality of connections on the social networking platform between a plurality of members of the named social networking group;

determining a connecting member of the named social networking group that exceeds a predetermined threshold of connections within the named social networking group on the social networking platform;

removing, based on determining that the connecting member of the named social networking group exceeds the predetermined threshold, the connecting member of the named social networking group from the social graph;

determining that a disconnected member of the social graph is not a valid member of the named social networking group, based on the disconnected member not meeting a second predetermined threshold of connections within the social graph after having removed the connecting member from the social graph.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the disconnected member is an owner of the named social networking group;

determining, based on the disconnected member being the owner, that the named social networking group is untrusted.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

intercepting a message intended for the named social networking group;

sending the message to a subset of the plurality of members of the named social networking group excluding at least the disconnected member.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising warning a user, based on determining that the disconnected member of the social graph is not the valid member of the named social networking group, that the disconnected member is untrusted.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising removing the disconnected member from the named social networking group based on determining that the disconnected member of the social graph is not the valid member of the named social networking group.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising hiding the named social networking group from the disconnected member based on determining that the disconnected member of the social graph is not the valid member of the named social networking group.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising weighting the social graph based on at least one connection on the social networking platform within the named social networking group.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connections on the social networking platform comprise at least one of:

a social networking platform relationship;

a message;

a wall post;

a comment;

shared profile information;

membership in an additional named social networking group.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

intercepting a message from a user intended for the named social networking group;

sending the message to a subset of the plurality of members of the named social networking group excluding at least one untrusted member based on at least one previous negative social networking platform interaction between the user and the untrusted member.

10. A system for validating members of social networking groups:

the system comprising;

an identification module programmed to identify a named social networking group on a social networking platform, the named social networking group comprising a plurality of members of the social networking platform;

a creation module programmed to create a social graph of the named social networking group based at least in part on a plurality of connections on the social networking platform between a plurality of members of the named social networking group;

a connection determination module programmed to determine a connecting member of the named social networking group that exceeds a predetermined threshold of connections within the named social networking group on the social networking platform;

a removing module programmed to remove, based on determining that the connecting member of the named social networking group exceeds the predetermined threshold, the connecting member of the named social networking group from the social graph;

a validity determination module programmed to determine that a disconnected member of the social graph is not a valid member of the named social networking group, based on the disconnected member not meeting a second predetermined threshold of connections within the social graph after having removed the connecting member from the social graph;

at least one processor configured to execute the identification module, the creation module, the connection determination module, the removing module and the validity determination module.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a determination module programmed to determine that the disconnected member is an owner of the named social networking group;

the determination module is programmed to determine, based on the disconnected member being the owner, that the named social networking group is untrusted.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an interception module programmed to intercept a message intended for the named social networking group;

a sending module programmed to send the message to a subset of the plurality of members of the named social networking group excluding at least the disconnected member.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a warning module programmed to warn a user, based on determining that the disconnected member of the social graph is not the valid member of the named social networking group, that the disconnected member is untrusted.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a member removing module programmed to remove the disconnected member from the named social networking group based on determining that the disconnected member of the social graph is not the valid member of the named social networking group.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a hiding module programmed to hide the named social networking group from the disconnected member based on determining that the disconnected member of the social graph is not the valid member of the named social networking group.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a weighting module programmed to weight the social graph based on at least one connection on the social networking platform within the named social networking group.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of connections on the social networking platform comprise at least one of:

a social networking platform relationship;

a message;

a wall post;

a comment;

shared profile information;

membership in an additional named social networking group.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an interception module programmed to intercept a message from a user intended for the named social networking group;

a sending module programmed to send the message to a subset of the plurality of members of the named social networking group excluding at least one untrusted member based on at least one previous negative social networking platform interaction between the user and the untrusted member.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify a named social networking group on a social networking platform, the named social networking group comprising a plurality of members of the social networking platform;

create a social graph of the named social networking group based at least in part on a plurality of connections on the social networking platform between a plurality of members of the named social networking group;

determine a connecting member of the named social networking group that exceeds a predetermined threshold of connections within the named social networking group on the social networking platform;

remove, based on determining that the connecting member of the named social networking group exceeds the predetermined threshold, the connecting member of the named social networking group from the social graph;

determine that a disconnected member of the social graph is not a valid member of the named social networking group, based on the disconnected member not meeting a second predetermined threshold of connections within the social graph after having removed the connecting member from the social graph.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to:

determine that the disconnected member is an owner of the named social networking group;

determine, based on the disconnected member being the owner, that the named social networking group is untrusted.