# US 2021/0243572 A1 · Methods, Apparatuses and Computer Program Products for Implementing Communication Barriers in a Group-Based Communication System

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- Number: US 2021/0243572 A1
- Document ID: US20210243572A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/146,941
- Filed: 2021-01-12
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30
- Assignees: Slack Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Slack Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Max Baez; Colin Gibbs; Alan Hardin; Jennifer Enrique; Kevin Marshall
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243572A1

## CPC

- G06F 21/6218: {to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database}
- H04W 4/08: User group management
- H04L 12/189: {in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06)}
- H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
- H04L 51/56: Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
- H04L 63/101: {Access control lists [ACL]}
- H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)}
- H04W 8/186: {Processing of subscriber group data}
- H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Implementing communication barriers in a group-based communication system is described. In an example, a privacy setting associated with a communication privilege for communicating with a user of a group-based communication system can be stored, wherein the privacy setting permits the user to transmit communications via the group-based communication and restricts another user of the group-based communication system from communicating with the user. The group-based communication system can deny a communication privilege of the other user based at least in part on the privacy setting, wherein denying the communication privilege prohibits the other user from at least one of initiating a message associated with a user identifier of the user or transmitting the message to a client device associated with the user identifier.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method implemented at least in part by a group-based communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first client device of a first user of the group-based communication system, a first message associated with a communication channel of the group-based communication system, wherein the communication channel is associated with a plurality of users including the first user, and wherein the first user is associated with a user identifier;
in response to receiving the first message, causing the first message to be presented via a channel-based messaging user interface in association with the communication channel; and
denying a communication privilege of a second user, of the plurality of users, based at least in part on a privacy setting, wherein denying the communication privilege prohibits the second user from at least one of initiating, in response to the first message, a second message associated with the user identifier or transmitting the second message to the first client device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second message comprises a messaging communication to be presented via the channel-based messaging user interface in association with the communication channel, wherein the first user is referenced in the second message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second message comprises a direct message to the first user.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the privacy setting based at least in part on the user identifier, and in response to receiving the first message.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein communication channel is associated with at least two group identifiers, and wherein the first user is associated with a first group identifier and the second user is associated with a second group identifier, and wherein the privacy setting restricts communication from other users associated with the second group identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy setting indicates that incoming communications associated with the user identifier require approval prior to being transmitted to the first client device, the method further comprising:
receiving, from a second client device of the second user, the second message, wherein the second message is associated with at least one of the first message or the user identifier;
sending, to the first client device, a request for approval to receive the second message;
receiving, from the first client device, an indication that the request is denied; and
denying the communication privilege based at least in part on receiving the indication.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy setting is associated with one or more identifiers that are approved for communicating with the first user, the method further comprising:
determining that an identifier associated with the second user is absent from the one or more identifiers; and
denying the communication privilege based at least in part on a determination that the identifier is absent from the one or more identifiers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein prohibiting the transmitting of the second message to the first client device comprises refraining from sending the second message to the first client device or refraining from publishing the second message via the communication channel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising causing an indication to be presented via an instance of the group-based messaging user interface presented via a second client device of the second user, wherein the indication indicates that the second message violates the privacy setting.

### Claim 10

A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
storing a privacy setting associated with a communication privilege for communicating with a user of a group-based communication system, wherein the privacy setting permits the user to transmit communications via the group-based communication and restricts another user of the group-based communication system from communicating with the user; and
denying a communication privilege of the other user based at least in part on the privacy setting, wherein denying the communication privilege prohibits the other user from at least one of initiating a message associated with a user identifier of the user or transmitting the message to a client device associated with the user identifier.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system as claim 10 recites, wherein the message comprises (i) a messaging communication to be presented via a channel-based messaging user interface in association with a communication channel, wherein the user is referenced in the message, or (ii) a direct message to the user.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system as claim 10 recites, the operations further comprising:
receiving the message, wherein the message is associated with the user identifier; and
in response to receiving the message, accessing the privacy setting based at least in part on the user identifier.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system as claim 12 recites, wherein the privacy setting indicates that incoming communications associated with the user identifier require approval prior to being transmitted to the client device associated with the user or being presented via an instance of a group-based messaging user interface, the operations further comprising:
sending, to the client device, a request for approval to receive the message; and
receiving, from the client device, an indication that the request is denied, wherein denying the communication privilege is further based at least in part on receiving the indication.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the privacy setting is associated with one or more identifiers that are approved for communicating with the user, the operations further comprising:
determining that an identifier associated with the message is absent from the one or more identifiers; and
denying the communication privilege further based at least in part on a determination that the identifier is absent from the one or more identifiers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the identifier comprises one or more of a user identifier associated with a sender of the message or a group identifier associated with a group with which the sender is associated.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, the operations further comprising causing an indication to be presented via an instance of a group-based messaging user interface presented via a client device associated with a sender of the message, wherein the indication indicates that the message violates the privacy setting.

### Claim 17

One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
storing a privacy setting associated with a communication privilege for communicating with a user of a group-based communication system;
receiving a message associated with a user identifier of the user;
determining whether the message complies with the privacy setting; and
based at least in part on a determination that the message does not comply with the privacy setting, denying the communication privilege associated with the message.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the privacy setting permits the user to transmit communications via the group-based communication and prohibits another user of the group-based communication system from sending communications to the user.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the message comprises (i) a messaging communication to be presented via a channel-based messaging user interface in association with a communication channel, wherein the user is referenced in the message, or (ii) a direct message to the user.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the privacy setting indicates:
(i) that incoming communications associated with the user identifier require approval prior to being transmitted to a client device associated with the user or presented via an instance of a group-based messaging user interface presented via the client device; or
(ii) one or more identifiers that are approved for communicating with the user.