Virtual collaboration session access

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a request to couple a first client device to a communication server including a communication session, wherein the request includes user identification information;
• determining a number of client devices coupled to the communication session;
• comparing the number of client devices coupled to the communication session to a maximum number of client devices to determine whether the maximum number of client devices are coupled to the communication session;
• when the maximum number of client devices are coupled to the communication session, determining whether a user associated with the first client device is a preferred user based on at least the user identification information;
• querying at least one data store based on at least the user identification information to retrieve user status information for the user associated with the first client device;
• determining a user status of the user associated with the first client device based at least in part on the retrieved user status information, wherein the user status is one of the preferred user and a non-preferred user, wherein the preferred user has at least one of:
• a granted preferred status based upon, at least in part, an activity level including a number of times the user initiates communication sessions, and a verified preferred status, including verifying the preferred status of a public figure via a social network service provider associated with the communication session;
• and
• when the user is the preferred user, coupling the first client device associated with the preferred user to the communication session, wherein the communication session enables communication between the first client device and one or more additional client devices coupled to the communication session, wherein a video feed associated with each client device coupled to the communication session is generated and concurrently displayed during the communication session.

A server comprising one or more computing devices, wherein the one or more computing devices perform a method of:

• receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a request to couple a first client device to a communication server including a communication session, wherein the request includes user identification information;
• determining, by the one or more computing devices, a number of client devices coupled to the communication session;
• comparing, by the one or more computing devices, the number of client devices coupled to the communication session to a maximum number of client devices to determine whether the maximum number of client devices are coupled to the communication session;
• when the maximum number of client devices are coupled to the communication session, determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether a user associated with the first client device is a preferred user based on at least the user identification information;
• querying, by the one or more computing devices, at least one data store based on at least the user identification information to retrieve user status information for the user associated with the first client device;
• determining, by the one or more computing devices, a user status of the user associated with the first client device based at least in part on the retrieved user status information, wherein the user status is one of the preferred user and a non-preferred user, wherein the preferred user has at least one of:
• a granted preferred status based upon, at least in part, an activity level including a number of times the user initiates communication sessions, and a verified preferred status, including verifying the preferred status of a public figure via a social network service provider associated with the communication session;
• and
• when the user is the preferred user, coupling, by the one or more computing devices, the client device associated with the preferred user to the communication session, wherein the communication session enables communication between the first client device and one or more additional client devices coupled to the communication session, wherein a video feed associated with each client device coupled to the communication session is generated and concurrently displayed during the communication session.