System and method for determining a trust level in a social network environment

• US 20080189768A1
• 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: Cheever, Charlie, Trahan, Bob, Callahan, Ezra, Agarwal, Aditya, Puntnam, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles

Abstract

A system and method for determining a trust level for a non-approved user in a social network is described. The method includes monitoring requests for social network interactions between an approved user and the non-approved user and determining if each interaction requested is of a first type or a second type. The method further includes increasing a first trust value when the interaction requested is of the first type and increasing a second trust value when the interaction requested is of the second type. The method further includes determining the trust level based on the first trust value and the second trust value. The method further includes changing the status of the non-approved user to an approved user based on the trust level, the first trust value and/or the second trust value.

Claims

1. A method for determining a trust level for a non-approved user in a social network comprising:

receiving a request for an interaction from an approved user regarding the non-approved user;

determining if the interaction requested is of a first type;

modifying a first trust value for the non-approved user when the interaction requested is of the first type;

determining if the interaction requested is of a second type;

modifying a second trust value for the non-approved user when the interaction requested is of the second type; and

determining a trust level for the non-approved user based on the first trust value and the second trust value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the status of the non-approved user to an approved user based on the trust level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the status of the non-approved user to an approved user based on the first trust value and the second trust value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of interaction requested comprises inviting the non-approved user to be a friend, accepting an invitation from the non-approved user to become a friend, poking the non-approved user, posting a message on the non-approved user'"'"'s wall, tagging non-approved user, and confirming non-approved user'"'"'s tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction are not the same type of interaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of interaction requested comprises accepting an invitation from the non-approved user to become a friend of the non-approved user or inviting the non-approved user to be a friend, and the second type of interaction requested comprises tagging the non-approved user or confirming the non-approved user'"'"'s tag.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a social network interaction from the non-approved user;

presenting a challenge to the non-approved user;

receiving a response to the challenge from the non-approved user; and

providing the social network interaction to the non-approved user if the response meets a predefined condition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the challenge is a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the challenge is presented for every request received.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising presenting a second challenge when the response does not meet the predefined condition.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining whether to present a challenge based on the trust level of the non-approved user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a probability based on the trust level and wherein the step of determining whether to present the challenge is based on the probability.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether to present a challenge further comprises determining a frequency for presenting the challenge based on the trust level.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first trust value is not increased when a second interaction request of the first type has been received from the approved user regarding the non-approved user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second trust value is not increased when a second interaction request of the second type has been received from the approved user regarding the non-approved user.

16. A method for changing a status of a user in a social network comprising:

receiving a telephone number from the user;

sending a message to a device coupled to the telephone number;

receiving a response to the message from the user;

determining if the response meets a predetermined criteria; and

changing the status of the user when the response meets the predetermined criteria.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein changing the status of the user comprises changing the status of a non-approved user to the status of an approved user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises receiving the response within a predetermined period of time after the message is sent.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the telephone number is received over the internet.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the response is received over the internet.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the message is an image.

22. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computing device for performing a method for determining a trust level for a non-approved user in a social network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for an interaction from an approved user regarding the non-approved user;

determining if the interaction requested is of a first type;

modifying a first trust value for the non-approved user when the interaction requested is of the first type;

determining if the interaction requested is of a second type;

modifying a second trust value for the non-approved user when the interaction requested is of the second type; and

determining a trust level for the non-approved user based on the first trust value and the second trust value.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a request for a social network interaction from the non-approved user;

presenting a challenge to the non-approved user;

receiving a response to the challenge from the non-approved user; and

providing the social network interaction to the non-approved user if the response meets a predefined condition.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising changing the status of the non-approved user to an approved user based on the trust level.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising changing the status of the non-approved user to an approved user based the first trust value and the second trust value.

26. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computing device for performing a method for changing a status of a user in a social network, the method comprising:

receiving a telephone number from the user;

sending a message to a device coupled to the telephone number;

receiving a response to the message from the user;

determining if the response meets a predetermined criteria; and

changing the status of the user when the response meets the predetermined criteria.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein changing the status of the user comprises changing the status of a non-approved user to the status of an approved user.

28. A system for determining a trust level for a non-approved user in a social network comprising:

a social network provider configured to receive a request for a social network interaction from an approved user regarding the non-approved user; and

a trust engine configured to;

determine if the interaction requested is of a first type;

change a first trust value for the non-approved user when the interaction requested is of the first type;

determine if the interaction requested is of a second type;

change a second trust value for the non-approved user when the interaction requested is of the second type; and

determine a trust level for the non-approved user based on the first trust value and the second trust value.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a challenge module configured to:

receive a request for a social network interaction from the non-approved user;

present a challenge to the non-approved user;

receive a response to the challenge from the non-approved user; and

provide the social network interaction to the non-approved user if the response meets a predefined condition.

30. A system for changing a status of a user in a social network comprising:

a verify component configured to;

receive a telephone number from the user;

send a message to a device coupled to the telephone number;

receive a response to the message from the user;

determine if the response meets a predetermined criteria; and

change the status of the user when the response meets the predetermined criteria.