to think that 'People You May Know' function could ruin Facebook.

[takemeuptheeiffeltower]

We all like Facebook because it helps us keep in touch with people, especially if they live far away,.
But if we're honest, whilst we are keeping in touch most of us also like to have an annonymous nose around to see who's doing what! It's part of the fun.
Anyway, it's human nature to be inquisitive nosey
But if people can see that you have searched for them and vice versa, then I can see people leaving FB in droves.

Have FB gone too far this time?

An interesting experiment would be to set up a fake account from a computer that isn't yours - maybe in a public library or somewhere, with a brand new email address that has no contacts. Fill in fake information on school, location, interests, and never access the account from your phone.

Then see who Facebook suggests as people may you know.

I've never searched for anyone, I'm not a very active user, and it still manages to find people to suggest. Sometimes I know them well, sometimes I know of them, but wouldn't regard them as a friend, and sometimes I haven't a clue who they are.

My auntie recently opened a Facebook account; she only has 2 friends on it at the moment and yet Facebook suggested that she might know her ex - partner, from whom she has been estranged for 15 years, with no contact whatsoever (he moved abroad and she doesn't even know where). When he left the uk, she had no computer, no mobile phone, no email account - nothing that could link her to him. They have no mutual friends- she only has two on there- and she definitely hasn't looked him up. And yet within a week or two of her opening her account, he was suggested as a friend! There is no other explanation, other than he'd looked her up and so she then got him recommended as a friend. And he pops up pretty much every time she logs on.

but she only opened the account recently. That would mean that he'd been searching for her constantly and then suddenly got lucky when she opened the account? Maybe but I'm not convinced - and if that is the case, I'd be more concerned about that! Are you sure there's no way she wouldn't have searched for him?

Had this yesterday. My ex bil had an affair and is now seperated from my dsis. He lives on the other side of the world with this woman. My dsis has never been on facebook, I've never had him on my facebook or looked him up. I don't have his phone number or email, never have done. Last night people I might know suggested his new woman, the one he had an affair with.
How would she pop up unless she had been looking at my profile? I've got no connections to him at all.
Have to say it did get me kind of when I realised who she was.

*There is no other explanation, other than he'd looked her up and so she then got him recommended as a friend. And he pops up pretty much every time she logs on.

Okay, all the You are all being Paranoid lot - Explain the above*

There are plenty of other explanations...just because YOU can't think of one doesn't mean it isn't there. Really obvious ones include they have a shared email contact (who doesn't have to be a mutual friend on FB).

You have a paranoid theory, therefore you see everything in the light to explain the theory you already have.

I've just checked mine. Most are people with mutual friends. 2 are people from work I don't have email or phone nos for. There are quite a few people with no mutual friends that I've also never heard of. Bizarre.

Most people I know have expressed a concern.
Hey Ho - Here's to us ALL being paranoid! [wine} Cheers!

Just because a lot of people have the wrong idea doesn't make it any less wrong. An awful lot of people spend their money on sugar pills homeopathy, for example. Wrong, like misery, loves company.

I'm not paranoid about people searching me, on Facebook or by any other means on the internet. Nor am I paranoid about people knowing that I have been searching them. I think most people search other people.

What is worrying is that Facebook is so secretive about things, whilst helping itself to so much of our data. I'm not sure why they won't just explain, clearly, exactly how they generate these lists?

In the absence of any clear explanation, and what appear to be quite of lot of people turning up "coincidentally" on these lists, it's hardly surprising that people will fill in the gaps and come up with their own theories.

Those theories may well be off the mark, but until Facebook explains people will continue to come up with their own explanations. The attitude from Facebook seems to be "you're wrong, but we won't tell you exactly how it works." Which is obviously going to annoy people.

I'm not sure why they won't just explain, clearly, exactly how they generate these lists?

You can't think of any reason why they wouldn't tell everyone about their proprietary software and algorithms that cost them millions to develop? Gee, maybe if you think really hard......?

They don't need to go into details about the software and algorithms. When they tell us , for example:

"People You May Know are people on Facebook that you might know. We show you people based on mutual friends, work and education information, networks you’re part of, contacts you’ve imported and many other factors."

they could fill in the "many other factors". There are "many of them", after all. What are these factors? They seem happy to tell us it's based on friends, work and education info, so why is the rest of what it's based on such a secret?

(Just out of interest, what if they did reveal all the software and algorithms? Aren't they patented, or something? Would it be that easy for other companies to steal? Genuine question.)

Can I ask those who are suspicious - do you all use FB via your phone? I don't think it uses the info of who has searched for you. But I do think it cleverly uses all sorts of info from your phone and 'location' to identify possible connections.

I wonder if those who only use their PCs have similar suspicions??

Only PC I'm afraid

Not on the phone, no.

How do you get a 'stalker' Facebook account? Don't you need a different mobile phone number?

Nah, I once made one for my dogs.

It's probably still floating out there...

Ok check this autumndragon, I don't know if it will vindicate your DH or not but...

I opened a stalking account. I made it with a new email address that was the randomest name I could think of. I added one person who is completely unrelated to anyone I know as a friend and I still only have that person as a friend. On the fake account I listed a school on the other side of London, fake jobs, fake interests.

Within a week, the man who works in the chemist at the top of my road had sent a friend request. Why?!?! I don't even have this person on my real account!

FB must be a) checking the locations of IP addresses b) linking people via their likes c) using google to check what local maps you have used for route planning d) making a map of your life via the groups you join ie local For Sale groups or "Save the local pub" to give a picture of where you were living at certain points in your life, hence bringing up people you know from years ago.

Maybe it even uses your birthday and name to check the electoral roll (yes. I am paranoid!)

madelroco presumably to be so certain you must either work at FB or do their PR?

I think it's more likely to be connected to things and pages you have liked and places checked into.

privacy policy is not remotely ambiguous, nobody bothers to actually read it. FB is free to use, you act as if they owe you something for using it. You people dont get it, youre not the customer, youre the product!

And there is no commercial rationale for using people who have searched for you as suggestions for people you may know. Searches arent even recorded, let alone fed into rhat particular set of algorithms.

I've done an experiment.

I searched for my main account using my snooping account and had a good nosy around at myself :o

3 days later snoop account has not appeared in people I may know and main account hasn't shown up to snoop account.