Method and apparatus for processing authentication request message in a social network

An apparatus for processing a request for a direct online social relationship, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory to maintain a plurality of components executable by the one or more processors, the plurality of components including:
• an acquisition module, that:
• detects a request sent from a first client to a second client with whom the first client is not directly connected in an online social relationship, the request being a message requesting a direct online social relationship with the second client,
• extracts first identification information of the first client, the first identification information including a first list of tertiary clients with whom the first client is directly connected in an online social relationship,
• extracts second identification information of the second client, the second identification information including a second list of tertiary clients with whom the second client is directly connected in an online social relationship,
• analyzes the first and second lists of tertiary clients to identify particular tertiary clients that are found in both the first and the second lists,
• calculates a plurality of overall sums of degrees of familiarity, each overall sum corresponding to a respective overall sum of the degrees of familiarity between one of the respective particular tertiary clients and the first client and the second client, where calculating includes:
• a determination of a first degree of familiarity for each particular tertiary client with respect to the first client,
• a determination of a second degree of familiarity for each particular tertiary client with respect to the second client, and
• a summation of the first degree of familiarity and the second degree of familiarity resulting in an overall sum of the degrees of familiarity with respect to each grouping of a particular tertiary client, the first client, and the second client, and
• selects, based on a result of the calculating the plurality of overall sums of degrees of familiarity, a third client from among the particular tertiary clients, and
• a transmitting module that forwards the request message and information of the third client to the second client, to enable the second client to determine whether to authorize the requested direct online social relationship with the first client.