IP Library Granted Patent US 9,882,852
Granted Patent B2
US 9,882,852 · App. 14/708,711 · Granted Jan 30, 2018

Techniques for escalating temporary messaging bans

Inventors: Jan Koum (Santa Clara, CA); Brian Acton (Santa Clara, CA); Randall Sarafa (San Francisco, CA); Bryan Dennis O'Connor (Atherton, CA); Michael B Donohue (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: WHATSAPP INC.
H04L51/16H04L51/12H04L67/22H04L67/306
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,882,852
App. No.
14/708,711
Granted
Jan 30, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for escalating temporary messaging bans are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a messaging server component operative to receive one or more messaging interactions from a messaging client on a client device at a messaging service, the messaging client associated with a user account for the messaging service; and impose a restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service for a duration based on a messaging ban duration; and an abuse monitoring component operative to analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on a plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a messaging abuse threshold; retrieve a messaging abuse punishment history for the user account; and determine a messaging ban duration based on the messaging abuse punishment history and the determination that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims (64)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving one or more messaging interactions from a messaging client on a client device at a messaging service, the messaging client associated with a user account for the messaging service;

analyzing the one or more messaging interactions based on a plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a messaging abuse threshold;

retrieving a messaging abuse punishment history for the user account, wherein the messaging abuse punishment history includes previous punishments imposed on the user account for previous messaging abuses;

determining a messaging ban duration based on the messaging abuse punishment history and the determination that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold; and

imposing a restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service for a duration based on the messaging ban duration.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

determining that the messaging abuse punishment history indicates that the user account was subjected to a previous messaging ban duration; and

determining the messaging ban duration as a longer duration than the previous messaging ban duration.

3. The method of claim 2 , the messaging ban duration and the previous messaging ban duration comprising stages of an escalating messaging ban duration sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

disconnecting the messaging client from the messaging service based on the imposing of the restriction on the user account;

receiving a login attempt from the messaging client on the client device at the messaging service;

retrieving a user punishment education page based on a messaging abuse criterion used in determining that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold; and

transmitting the user punishment education page to the messaging client in response to the login attempt.

5. The method of claim 4 , the user punishment education page comprising a messaging utility control operative to duplicate at least a portion of the one or more messaging interactions using messaging interaction techniques that avoid punishment by the messaging service.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;

receiving one or more related messaging interactions at the messaging service, the related messaging interactions related to the one or more messaging interactions received from the messaging client;

re-analyzing the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account no longer meets the messaging abuse threshold; and

lifting the restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service in response to the re-analyzing of the one or more messaging interactions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein re-analyzing the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account no longer meets the messaging abuse threshold is in response to the one or more related messaging interactions comprising one or more destination user accounts of the one or more messaging interactions adding the user account as a contact with the messaging service.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving one or more related messaging interactions at the messaging service, the related messaging interactions related to the one or more messaging interactions received from the messaging client;

re-analyzing the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a higher messaging abuse threshold; and

increasing the restriction on the user account in response to the re-analyzing of the one or more messaging interactions.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the messaging abuse punishment history for the user account indicates that the user account has received a temporary ban threshold number of temporary bans; and

assigning the messaging ban duration as a permanent ban based on the determination that the messaging abuse punishment history for the user account indicates that the user account has received the temporary ban threshold number of temporary bans.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit on a device;

a messaging server component operative on the processor circuit to receive one or more messaging interactions from a messaging client on a client device at a messaging service, the messaging client associated with a user account for the messaging service; and impose a restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service for a duration based on a messaging ban duration;

an abuse monitoring component operative to analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on a plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a messaging abuse threshold; retrieve a messaging abuse punishment history for the user account, wherein the messaging abuse punishment history includes previous punishments imposed on the user account for previous messaging abuses; and

determine a messaging ban duration based on the messaging abuse punishment history and the determination that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

the abuse monitoring component operative to determine that the messaging abuse punishment history indicates that the user account was subjected to a previous messaging ban duration; and determine the messaging ban duration as a longer duration than the previous messaging ban duration, the messaging ban duration and the previous messaging ban duration comprising stages of an escalating messaging ban duration sequence.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

the messaging server component operative to disconnect the messaging client from the messaging service based on the imposing of the restriction on the user account; receive a login attempt from the messaging client on the client device at the messaging service; retrieve a user punishment education page based on a messaging abuse criterion used in determining that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold, the user punishment education page comprising a messaging utility control operative to duplicate at least a portion of the one or more messaging interactions using messaging interaction techniques that avoid punishment by the messaging service; and transmit the user punishment education page to the messaging client in response to the login attempt.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

the messaging server component operative to receive one or more related messaging interactions at the messaging service, the related messaging interactions related to the one or more messaging interactions received from the messaging client; and

the abuse monitoring component operative to re-analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account no longer meets the messaging abuse threshold; and lift the restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service in response to the re-analyzing of the one or more messaging interactions.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein re-analyzing the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account no longer meets the messaging abuse threshold is in response to the one or more related messaging interactions comprising one or more destination user accounts of the one or more messaging interactions adding the user account as a contact with the messaging service.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

the messaging server component operative to receive one or more related messaging interactions at the messaging service, the related messaging interactions related to the one or more messaging interactions received from the messaging client;

the abuse monitoring component operative to re-analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a higher messaging abuse threshold; and increase the restriction on the user account in response to the re-analyzing of the one or more messaging interactions.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive one or more messaging interactions from a messaging client on a client device at a messaging service, the messaging client associated with a user account for the messaging service;

analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on a plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a messaging abuse threshold;

retrieve a messaging abuse punishment history for the user account, wherein the messaging abuse punishment history includes previous punishments imposed on the user account for previous messaging abuses;

determine a messaging ban duration based on the messaging abuse punishment history and the determination that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold; and

impose a restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service for a duration based on the messaging ban duration.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

disconnect the messaging client from the messaging service based on the imposing of the restriction on the user account;

receive a login attempt from the messaging client on the client device at the messaging service;

retrieve a user punishment education page based on a messaging abuse criterion used in determining that the user account meets the messaging abuse threshold, the user punishment education page comprising a messaging utility control operative to duplicate at least a portion of the one or more messaging interactions using messaging interaction techniques that avoid punishment by the messaging service; and

transmit the user punishment education page to the messaging client in response to the login attempt.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive one or more related messaging interactions at the messaging service, the related messaging interactions related to the one or more messaging interactions received from the messaging client;

re-analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account no longer meets the messaging abuse threshold; and

lift the restriction on the user account from transmitting messaging using the messaging service in response to the re-analyzing of the one or more messaging interactions.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein re-analyzing the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account no longer meets the messaging abuse threshold is in response to the one or more related messaging interactions comprising one or more destination user accounts of the one or more messaging interactions adding the user account as a contact with the messaging service.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive one or more related messaging interactions at the messaging service, the related messaging interactions related to the one or more messaging interactions received from the messaging client;

re-analyze the one or more messaging interactions based on the plurality of messaging abuse criteria to determine that the user account meets a higher messaging abuse threshold; and

increase the restriction on the user account in response to the re-analyzing of the one or more messaging interactions.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 22, 2021
From: WHATSAPP INC.
To: WHATSAPP LLC
Reel/Frame 056646/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2017
From: KOUM, JAN; ACTON, BRIAN; SARAFA, RANDALL; O'CONNOR, BRYAN DENNIS; DONOHUE, MICHAEL B.
To: WHATSAPP INC.
Reel/Frame 041980/0293 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160337293A1 · Nov 17, 2016