Member privacy protection

1. A system comprising:

a computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more hardware processors, configure the system to perform a plurality of operations, the operations comprising:

storing contact information for a plurality of members of a social networking system;

receiving, from a client device associated with a first member, a communication representing a request for matching member profiles in the social networking service, the communication including a list of contacts of the first member;

for a particular contact submitted in the list of contacts:

accessing member-identifiable contact information of the particular contact;

comparing the member-identifiable contact information in the particular contact to contact information for the plurality of members; and

in accordance with a determination that the member-identifiable contact information in the particular contact matches the contact information of a particular member of the social networking system:

generating a likelihood score that the communication is a legitimate request for matching member profiles, the higher the likelihood score the likelier the communication is a legitimate request while the lower the likelihood score the likelier the communication is a malicious request; and

in accordance with a determination that the generated likelihood score exceeds a predetermined likelihood score threshold, thus determining that the communication is a legitimate request, causing the following operations to be performed:

categorizing the particular contact as a suggested member connection; and

transmitting member referral data to the client device for presentation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to a determination that the likelihood score does not transgress the threshold, preventing contacts in the list of contacts from being categorized as suggested member connections.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein member referral data includes at least one suggested member connection and at least one suggested guest connection.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total number of contacts in the list of contacts.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a rate at which contacts in the list of contacts have been submitted.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total number of contacts submitted by a single Internet Protocol address.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total rate at which contacts have been submitted by a single Internet Protocol address.

8. A computer-implemented method using at least one computer processor, the method comprising:

storing contact information for a plurality of members of a social networking system;

receiving, from a client device associated with a first member, a communication representing a request for matching member profiles in the social networking service, the communication including a list of contacts of the first member;

for a particular contact submitted in the list of contacts:

accessing member-identifiable contact information of the particular contact;

comparing the member-identifiable contact information in the particular contact to contact information for the plurality of members; and

in accordance with a determination that the member-identifiable contact information in the particular contact matches the contact information of a particular member of the social networking system:

generating a likelihood score that the communication is a legitimate request for matching member profiles, the higher the likelihood score the likelier the communication is a legitimate request while the lower the likelihood score the likelier the communication is a malicious request; and

in accordance with a determination that the generated likelihood score exceeds a predetermined likelihood score threshold, thus determining that the communication is a legitimate request, causing the following operations to be performed:

categorizing the particular contact as a suggested member connection; and

transmitting member referral data to the client device for presentation.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in response to a determination that the likelihood score does not transgress the threshold, preventing contacts in the list of contacts from being categorized as suggested member connections.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein member referral data includes at least one suggested member connection and at least one suggested guest connection.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total number of contacts in the list of contacts.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a rate at which contacts in the list of contacts have been submitted.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total number of contacts submitted by a single Internet Protocol address.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total rate at which contacts have been submitted by a single Internet Protocol address.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

storing contact information for a plurality of members of a social networking system;

receiving, from a client device associated with a first member, a communication representing a request for matching member profiles in the social networking service, the communication including a list of contacts of the first member;

for a particular contact submitted in the list of contacts:

accessing member-identifiable contact information of the particular contact;

comparing the member-identifiable contact information in the particular contact to contact information for the plurality of members; and

in accordance with a determination that the member-identifiable contact information in the particular contact matches the contact information of a particular member of the social networking system:

generating a likelihood score that the communication is a legitimate request for matching member profiles, the higher the likelihood score the likelier the communication is a legitimate request while the lower the likelihood score the likelier the communication is a malicious request; and

in accordance with a determination that the generated likelihood score exceeds a predetermined likelihood score threshold, thus determining that the communication is a legitimate request, causing the following operations to be performed:

categorizing the particular contact as a suggested member connection; and

transmitting member referral data to the client device for presentation.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

in response to a determination that the likelihood score does not transgress the threshold, preventing contacts in the list of contacts from being categorized as suggested member connections.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein member referral data includes at least one suggested member connection and at least one suggested guest connection.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total number of contacts in the list of contacts.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a rate at which contacts in the list of contacts have been submitted.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the likelihood score is further based on a total number of contacts submitted by a single Internet Protocol address.