Determining a Trust Level of a User in a Social Network Environment

• US 20110035789A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aditya Agarwal, Bob Trahan, Charlie Cheever, Chris Putnam, Ezra Callahan
• Inventors: Putnam, Chris, Cheever, Charlie, Agarwal, Aditya, Trahan, Bob, Callahan, Ezra
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,463 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 changing a user'"'"'s trust level in a social networking system, the method comprising:

maintaining a level of trust for each of a plurality of users of the social networking system;

receiving a telephone number from a user of the plurality of users;

sending a message to a device associated with the telephone number;

receiving a response to the message;

determining if the response meets a criterion; and

increasing a trust level associated with the user if the response meets the criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of a text message, a voice message, a numeric message, and a video message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion comprises receiving the response within a predetermined period of time after the message is sent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion comprises whether the response matches an expected text string.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the expected text string is an answer to a CAPTCHA.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to increasing the trust level, confirming that the telephone number has not been used to verify another user of the social networking system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number is received over the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response is received over the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the trust level associated with the user results in changing a status of the user from a non-approved user associated with a lower trust level to an approved user associated with a higher trust level.

11. A method for changing a user'"'"'s trust level in a social networking system, the method comprising:

maintaining a level of trust for each of a plurality of users of the social networking system;

determining whether a user of the plurality of users can be verified via a telephone number associated with the user, comprising;

comparing a response received at the social networking system from a device associated with the telephone number to a criterion for the response; and

responsive to the response meeting the criterion, verifying the user; and

increasing the level of trust associated with the user in response to the verifying.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the response is selected from the group consisting of a text message, a voice message, a numeric message, and a video message.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the criterion comprises whether the response matches an expected text string.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the expected text string is an answer to a CAPTCHA.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to increasing the level of trust, confirming that the telephone number has not been used to verify another user of the social networking system.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the response is received over the Internet.

19. A method for changing a user'"'"'s trust level in a social networking system, the method comprising:

maintaining a level of trust for each of a plurality of users of the social networking system;

determining whether a user of the plurality of users can be verified via personal information under the control of the user, comprising;

comparing a response received at the social networking system from a device associated with the personal information under the control of the user to a criterion for the response; and

responsive to the response meeting the criterion, verifying the user; and

increasing the level of trust associated with the user in response to the verifying.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the personal information under the control of the user is a telephone number.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the personal information under the control of the user is a physical mailing address.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the personal information under the control of the user is a trusted email address.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the response is selected from the group consisting of a text message, a voice message, a numeric message, and a video message.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the criterion comprises whether the response matches an expected text string.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the expected text string is an answer to a CAPTCHA.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising, prior to increasing the level of trust, confirming that personal information under the control of the user has not been used to verify another user of the social networking system.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the response is received over the Internet.