Using Connections Between Users In A Social Networking System To Regulate Operation Of A Machine Associated With A Social Networking System User

A method comprising:

• storing, in a social networking system, data describing a machine and an owner of the machine, the owner comprising a user of a plurality of users of the social networking system who is capable of authorizing one or more actions associated with the machine;
• receiving from the owner data describing one or more permissions, each permission specifying a type of connection between the owner and another user of the plurality of users of the social networking system who are authorized to perform one or more actions associated with the machine;
• receiving a request from a requesting user of the social networking system to perform an action using the machine;
• determining whether the requesting user is authorized to perform the action based at least in part on a type of connection between a user authorized to perform the action by the owner of the machine specified by a permission associated with the action and a type of a connection between the requesting user and the owner of the machine;
• and
• responsive to determining the authorized user is authorized to perform the action, communicating an instruction to perform the action from the social networking system to the machine.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

• store, in a social networking system, data describing a machine and an owner of the machine, the owner comprising a user of a plurality of users of the social networking system who is capable of authorizing one or more actions associated with the machine;
• receive from the owner data describing one or more permissions, each permission specifying a type of connection between the owner and another user of the plurality of users of the social networking system who are authorized to perform one or more actions associated with the machine;
• receive a request from a requesting user of the social networking system to perform an action using the machine;
• determine whether the requesting user is authorized to perform the action based at least in part on a type of connection between a user authorized to perform the action by the owner of the machine specified by a permission associated with the action and a type of a connection between the requesting user and the owner of the machine;
• and
• responsive to determining the authorized user is authorized to perform the action, communicate an instruction to perform the action from the social networking system to the machine.