Worth noting that this patent was one of many that Facebook got via acquiring a patent portfolio from Friendster and that the other uses of the patent are quite different. I think this is a case where a provocative headline is making more of something than is really there. Also there is a very solid case (and ample prior art) to using network ties to detect fraud (which isn't too far removed from making a credit decision). One anti fraud technology I helped in a small way with (over a decade ago) used a lot of different methods to look for bad actors who shared various features - for example employees and customers who share a phone number or an address or employees and suppliers. Etc. this was for a casino who are often on the bleeding edge of such technology (and who also make a lot of credit decisions). Bad actors would often try to hide relationships either between themselves or between multiple Faldo identities. In the modern era I can easily see using social ties on a public network such as Facebook as one factor in helping identify real people vs fraudulent actors. It wouldn't by far be perfect or exact but it would help surface many cases (either networks of fake accounts on social networks or people claiming a false identity. ) I see a common and very real example of this on Facebook about once a week - a set of people are making fake accounts in the names of airlines then claiming to run a contest for free airfare for everyone who shares some post. Every week I see at least one friend caught by these deceptions - made somewhat obvious if you look at the account as it will have no history or social ties and won't be "verified" Sent from my iPhone
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