Applying user-specified permissions to distribution of content items to social networking system users

Abstract

A social networking system user identifies one or more social networking system users authorized to present content items to the user via the social networking system (“authorized users”). When an additional user requests presentation of a content item to the user, the social networking system determines if the additional user is an authorized user. If the additional user is an authorized user, the content item is presented to the user. However, if the additional user is not an authorized user, the social networking system identifies the additional user to the user along with a request to identify the additional user as an authorized user. If the user identifies the additional user as an authorized user in response to the request, the content item is presented to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a request, from a user of a networking system, to send a content item to one or more additional users via the networking system;   retrieving information describing previous interactions between the user and the one or more additional users;   ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on retrieved information describing a level of previous interaction between the user and each of the one or more additional users;   identifying a set of the one or more additional users based at least in part on the ranking; and   communicating information describing the identified set of the one or more additional users as potential recipients of the content item to a client device for presentation to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item includes information identifying one or more networking system users associated with the content item. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the identified set of the one or more additional users includes the one or more networking system users associated with the content item. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieved information describes a level of the previous interactions between the user and the one or more networking system users associated with the content item. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieved information describes a level of the previous interactions between the user and one or more additional users of the networking system within a specified time interval. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieved information describes a level of the previous interactions between the user and one or more additional users of the networking system associated with a location within a threshold distance of a location associated with the user. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on the retrieved information describing the previous interactions between the user and each of the one or more additional users comprises:
 ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on a frequency with which the user interacts with each additional user based on the retrieved information.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on the retrieved information describing the previous interactions between the user and each of the one or more additional users comprises:
 ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on affinities between the user and each of the additional users.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on the retrieved information describing the previous interactions between the user and each of the one or more additional users comprises:
 ranking the one or more additional users based at least in part on times associated with an interaction between the user and each additional user based on the retrieved information.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating information describing the identified set of one or more additional users to a client device for presentation to the user comprises:
 communicating an interface including information identifying one or more users from the identified set of the one or more additional users to the client device for presentation.   
     
     
         11 . A computer product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a request, from a user of a networking system, to send a content item to one or more additional users via the networking system;   retrieve information describing previous interactions between the user and the one or more additional users;   rank the one or more additional users based at least in part on retrieved information describing a level of previous interaction between the user and each of the one or more additional users;   identify a set of the one or more additional users based at least in part on the ranking; and   communicate information describing the identified set of the one or more additional users as potential recipients of the content item to a client device for presentation to the user.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the content item includes information identifying one or more networking system users associated with the content item. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the identified set of the one or more additional users includes the one or more networking system users associated with the content item. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the retrieved information describes a level of previous interactions between the user and the one or more networking system users associated with the content item. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the retrieved information describes a level of previous interactions between the user and one or more additional users of the networking system within a specified time interval. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the retrieved information describes a level of previous interactions between the user and one or more additional users of the networking system associated with a location within a threshold distance of a location associated with the user. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the ranking of the one or more additional users is based at least in part on a frequency with which the user interacts with each additional user. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the ranking of the one or more additional users is based at least in part on affinities between the user and each of the additional users. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the ranking of the one or more additional users is based at least in part on times associated with an interaction between the user and each additional user based on the retrieved information. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the information describing the set of the one or more additional users comprises an interface including information identifying one or more users from the identified set of the one or more additional users to the client device for presentation.