System and method for identifying transient friends

A system comprising:

• a communication interface communicatively coupling the system to a plurality of user devices associated with a plurality of users via a communication network;
• and
• a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to:
• obtain information identifying a location associated with each of the plurality of users;
• create a list of users proximate a first user;
• select a second user from the list of users proximate a first user;
• determine whether the second user is a persisted friend of the first user within a social network;
• identify, for the first user of the plurality of users, the second user of the plurality of users that is associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user as a transient friend of the first user in the social network of the first user;
• add the second user as a transient friend of the first user;
• and
• after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitor the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within the proximate area of the first user.

A method comprising:

• identifying a location associated with a first user;
• identifying a social network associated with the first user;
• identifying as possible transient friends, for the first user, one or more second users associated with the location and who are members of the social network of the first user and who are not already associated with the first user;
• adding at least one of the one or more second users as a transient friend of the first user;
• and
• after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitoring the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user.