Authorization and authentication based on an individual's social network

• US 20060021009A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lunt, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,302,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

An individual'"'"'s social network is used to authorize information flow to the individual and to authenticate the individual for access to certain information or services. Information flow to the individual is authorized if the source of the information is a member of the individual'"'"'s social network who is connected to the individual along a path that does not traverse through anyone on a gray list of the individual. The black list identifies those members who previously sent unwanted communication to the individual or posted content that was deemed offensive by the individual. The gray list identifies those members who are one degree separated from any black list member. The individual is authenticated for access to certain information or services if a member of the individual'"'"'s social network already has access and this member is connected to the individual along a path that does not traverse through anyone on a gray list of the individual, or if members of the individual'"'"'s social network who are connected to the individual along a path that does not traverse through anyone on a gray list of the individual have an average authentication rating that is at least a minimum value.

Claims

1. A method of authorizing transmission of content relating to a first individual to a second individual based on the second individual'"'"'s social network, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first set of records for the second individual;

generating a second set of records based on the first set and the second individual'"'"'s social network; and

authorizing the transmission of content to the second individual if the first individual and the second individual are connected in the second individual'"'"'s social network along a path that does not traverse through any individual identified in the second set.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of authorizing includes the steps of determining a degree of separation between the first individual and the second individual and authorizing the transmission of content if the degree of separation is less than or equal to a predetermined number.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first set includes identifying information of individuals whose content is not authorized to be transmitted to the second individual, and the second set includes identifying information of individuals who are one degree separated from any individual in the first set.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the identifying information is an e-mail address.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of updating the first set based on an input by said second individual.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content includes an e-mail communication.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of authorizing includes the steps of generating a set of authorized records including identifying information of individuals who are connected to the second individual in the second individual'"'"'s social network along a path that does not traverse through any individual identified in the second set, and authorizing the transmission of content if the first individual is identified in the set of authorized records.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of processing a search request by the second individual to generate a search result responsive to the search request, wherein said search result includes the content if the transmission of the content is authorized and said search request does not include the content if the transmission of the content is not authorized.

9. A method of authenticating an individual based on an approved list of users, a black list of users, and the individual'"'"'s social network, comprising the steps of:

receiving inputs by the individual, said inputs including identifying information of the individual;

generating a gray list based on the black list and the individual'"'"'s social network; and

authenticating the individual if the individual is connected to a user who is on the approved list and in the individual'"'"'s social network, along a path that does not traverse through anyone identified in the gray list.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of authenticating includes the steps of determining a degree of separation between the individual and the user who is on the approved list and in the individual'"'"'s social network, and authenticating the individual if the degree of separation is less than or equal to a predetermined number.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the black list of users includes identifying information of the users, and the gray list includes identifying information of members of the individual'"'"'s social network who are one degree separated from those users on the black list who are members of the individual'"'"'s social network.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the identifying information is an e-mail address.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of requesting and receiving a representation of the individual'"'"'s social network over the Internet.

14. A method of authenticating an individual based on the individual'"'"'s social network, comprising the steps of:

retrieving a first set of records maintained for the individual;

generating a second set of records based on the first set and the individual'"'"'s social network;

identifying individuals who are connected to the individual within the individual'"'"'s social network along a path that does not traverse through any individual identified in the second set; and

authenticating the individual based on authentication ratings of the identified individuals.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the authentication rating is a credit rating.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the individual is authenticated based on authentication ratings of the identified individuals who are within a predetermined degree of separation from the individual.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first set includes identifying information of individuals in the individual'"'"'s social network, and the second set includes identifying information of individuals who are one degree separated from any individual in the first set.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the individual is authenticated based on an average authentication rating of the identified individuals.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the authenticating rating for each of the identified individuals is adjusted based on a degree of separation between said identified individual and said individual.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of requesting and receiving a representation of the individual'"'"'s social network over the Internet.