To think "friend suggestions" on Facebook are people who may have viewed your profile?

[ashbeebb]

Apologies if this has been done to death.
Recently I've had two strange things happen.
I have been having CBT and my counsellor appeared as a friend suggestion with a magnifying glass next to her name.
Now my phone number isn't registered to my Facebook and email is different to my email.
No friends in common obviously.

Then also my ex of two years ago randomly popped up yesterday.
I've not got any mutual friends or live in same area etc.
I don't even use my Facebook much.

Aibu surely this can't be just a coincidence can it?
I know Facebook have said nobody can find out who looks at who.

I use an alias on Facebook so nobody would ever know it's me therefore the "suggestions" that pop up can't be people that have viewed you as a guy I work with came up as a suggestion

He doesn't know I'm on Facebook, he wouldn't be able to find me anyway as my name is different to real life and we don't have each other's numbers

I did however search for him on Strava recently as he's just bought a new bike and we're both cyclists

Sophisticated algorithm? My ex husband - overseas no FB - I noted three of his ex colleagues suddenly in my suggested friend list. Turned out something had happened that made him noteworthy in his industry.

Poss sophisticated algorithm but them doing ‘research’ would definitely be plausible.

@Igloo71 me too on Jemima! She must be be terribly bored in lockdown :)

So you are saying you know every person everyone you know knows and every person your all of your exes, spanning 40 years, know knows. Weird! I don't even know everyone my partner knows!

That was to @CriticalWoman

Poor Jemima if she’s taken to stalking my boring ole Facebook profile Now I’m wondering if we know each other IRL @TartanTexan and now you’re stalking me here. Paranoia

@CyberdyneSystems

I use an alias on Facebook so nobody would ever know it's me therefore the "suggestions" that pop up can't be people that have viewed you as a guy I work with came up as a suggestion

He doesn't know I'm on Facebook, he wouldn't be able to find me anyway as my name is different to real life and we don't have each other's numbers

I did however search for him on Strava recently as he's just bought a new bike and we're both cyclists

People you may know is not only people who've searched for you. It's also linked to shared locations, interactions in other apps, prior emailing history etc, which explains your Strava searchee turning up on your list. But people searching for you is definitely one of the ways a person gets added to that list. That's why it can suggest friends from the pre-social media era when you have no links either online or offline now.

@Igloo71 - you’ve got me thinking now :)

Re: my ex, can anyone explain? I assumed it did work as many suspect as I see my ex husband’s previous colleagues come up only when he does something ‘newsworthy’ at work? To the point I say Annabel Demitruou popped up on by FB & Desmond Morris (not real names) I remember their names in your industry. He says ‘Ah yes, that figures as a few days ago’...

They are looking me up trying to find him I thought - and failing? Maybe once every few years this happens & then there are typically 3 or so - big industry.

He’s not on FB & overseas.

@Fatladyslim

So you are saying you know every person everyone you know knows and every person your all of your exes, spanning 40 years, know knows. Weird! I don't even know everyone my partner knows!

I think I'm saying the opposite? That given the high level of disconnect between me and the exes who popped up on my Friends I May Know that the probability is that the only way FB could have connected us is because they searched for me.

Exactly. Which is why I don't understand why some people are so convinced it doesn't happen.

That was to Little Boho