Facebook “People You May Know” Stalking

What is “People you may know” on Facebook

The “People you may know” feature on Facebook often pops up in your news feed. As you’re browsing, you’ll see some profile pictures with names and mutual friends listed. You might know them or have some connections in common.

It’s an easy way to add people in your social group, especially if they’re already connected to some of your other Facebook friends.

Why do you keep seeing certain people in “people you may know”

There are a few reasons that people turn up in the “people you may know” section.

You might see the same people over and over again. The “people you may know” feature suggests people to you based on mutual friends, shared groups, nearby locations, and similar interests. It might also draw on your phone contacts or people you’ve connected with on Messenger.

Does seeing someone listed in the “people you may know” on Facebook mean they are stalking you? No.

It just means that you have some things in common, and Facebook thinks you might know each other.

If you’re worried about Facebook gathering data from your phone, such as your location and details of your contacts, Clario’s Anti-spy setup can help. The app can walk you through how to improve your phone’s privacy settings to minimize the information you share. The Anti-spy setup feature is a checklist you can use to protect your texts and calls, secure your device, hide location, safeguard media files, and protect social media and your online activity.

How to improve privacy settings on your phone with Clario’s Anti-spy setup:

1. Download Clario Anti Spy and sign up for a subscription.
2. Open the app and, under Anti-spy setup, tap Set up.
3. Go through the instructions to improve your phone’s security and privacy settings.
4. Tap Done when you’re finished.

Does “people you may know” reflect who is stalking your Facebook profile

Some people say that seeing someone on “people you may know” on Facebook means they are stalking you—but there’s no evidence that’s true. But we know it can still be worrying, especially if the person is someone who scares you.

There’s no way to see who is spying on your Facebook. If you see someone in the “people you may know” section, it doesn’t mean that person is looking at your profile. Facebook doesn’t share information about who visits your page.

Avoid clicking on links that promise to help you learn how to see who is stalking your Facebook profile. Facebook developers and moderators don’t provide that information to users, and sites that claim to tell you are scams.

Can “people you may know” suggest users who are trying to stalk you

Unfortunately, Facebook’s “people you may know” stalking is possible. You can’t use the feature to see who’s stalking you, but stalkers might use it to find your Facebook account or message you.

When someone sees you in their “people you may know” section, they can see your full name and profile picture, as well as any mutual friends. From there, they can click on your page and see anything available to the public.

As you can imagine, this presents several security risks.

Maybe your ex-girlfriend stalks you on Facebook, or a guy won’t leave you alone and keeps monitoring your profile. You might have told them you don’t use Facebook anymore—but if they see your profile picture changing, they’ll know that you do.

For people working in the education field, healthcare, or other sectors where you’d like to keep your work and personal life separate, Facebook might allow clients to learn your full name and location. And, if they try to add you, you’ll need to have a tricky conversation with them—potentially offending them.

Worst of all, if you’ve left an abusive relationship, your abuser might be able to find you based on landmarks in your profile picture or a list of mutual friends.

How to protect yourself against stalking on Facebook

If you’re worried about Facebook’s “people you may know” stalking, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself.

To reduce the risk of Facebook stalking, you can limit who can see your friends list, restrict who can search for you, and even block individuals who you think might be stalking you. Avoid using a personal photo as your profile picture, too.

Meta (Facebook’s parent company) doesn’t recommend it, but you could also use a fake name for your Facebook profile.

You can use Facebook’s How people can find and contact you settings to edit who can see your friends list, who can send friend requests, and who Facebook can suggest you to as a friend.

Lock down who can find you on Facebook:

1. Go to the hamburger menu and tap Settings & Privacy. Choose Settings.
2. Tap How people can find and contact you.
3. Go through the sections on this page to make sure you’re happy with them. Consider whether you want friend requests from everyone or just friends of friends. Who do you want to see your friends list? And when do you want Facebook to suggest you to people as a potential friend?

There are other steps you can take to improve your Facebook privacy, too, such as:

• Keep your profile picture neutral—don’t include local landmarks, for example. Don’t use your profile picture as a way to announce milestones like the birth of a child or an engagement.
• Use a security program such as Clario Anti Spy, which will help you choose what information you share with the Facebook app.
• Familiarize yourself with the signs your ex is stalking you on Facebook, and block anyone who shows worrying behavior.

Conclusion

Seeing someone listed in “people you may know” on Facebook doesn’t mean they are stalking you, but it can be disconcerting—especially if they’re someone you’re worried about.

But, just because Facebook “people you may know” stalking doesn’t quite work like that, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t security risks. Malicious people could still see your full name and profile picture, for example.

Facebook suggests people to you based on information such as your location, mutual friends, and also contacts on your phone. If you’re worried about the information that Facebook gathers about you from your phone, Clario’s Anti-spy setup can help you improve your privacy.