To warn MNers that if you post a link copied from your Facebook or Instagram account you’re outing yourseld

[APATEKPHILLIPEWATCH]

If you’re logged in to Instagram or Facebook, and you copy a link to paste into a MN thread (or indeed anywhere), anyone clicking that link can see your profile. It pops up saying “Joe Bloggs sent you a link. Add them as a friend?” and your profile picture is accompanied.

Ive seen it loads and didnt wanna post on individual threads telling people as it feels like an invitation to check out who that person really is. Posting in AIBU for traffic - it’s shocking IMO, but thought I’d warn people who didn’t realise. Not anything MN can do about it, it’s a Meta issue.

Nobody got upset. Why do you keep insisting anyone was upset or offended or frothing or anything else?

That, alongside the pile-on of other posters determined to make a non-incident into a big thing is what's bemusing. Although it's just getting boring now so I'm out. Which you'll probably claim is an angry flounce!

Thank you for the warning. Good to know..

Well if you expect me to bow scrape and apologise for trying to be helpful you’ll be terrible disappointed.

I think it’s really important people know this. People post about personal issues, abusive marriages, vulnerable children, arsehole bosses - these people do so under the cloak of anonymity (and wouldn’t otherwise post) and if they inadvertently out themselves that can really affect them.

Hardly a minor issue really.

I remember years ago something similar (but worse) happening with an Amazon account - someone posted a link to a book and if you clicked on it it logged you into their account. This is many many MANY years ago and I expect whatever Amazon flaw caused it has long since been corrected but it really freaked me out and I always log out of Amazon if I am posting a link to it because I still don't trust it.

Omg, I’m always doing Amazon links on here. Hope they did get it sorted.

That is scary re the Amazon thing! I think if I do links from now on it’ll be from incognito mode

It was honestly years ago. Does anyone else remember it? I wouldn't like to say how long. I think it may have been even before I started posting and was just lurking.

Well is there a way to change/remove the setting?

Thanks for the heads up. Not that I’ve ever linked to/from FB, I don’t think. But certainly won’t now.

Bump.

I tried to raise this with mn some time ago

A link from Instagram flashes up the name of the person who is sharing it.

Ive reported your post/ thread to @mnhq to raise awareness again

I spent a whole messaging several posters on a frw thread a while ago warning them I'd seen their names by clicking on the links

I've extensively checked links I've shared to others. Even in late 2024 my username doesn't pop up if I look at the links today. But as of today, after checking links I've sent from today onwards do pop up.

This is really weird. I knew TikTok did this, but you had the option to disable.

You just need to remove the share section of the url before posting. The bit after the forward slash that starts igsh

@APATEKPHILLIPEWATCH I didn't know this, thank you for the warning!

Yeah just read all about it. I think they started using it for tracking originally and then now it's just started to actually show who it's from.

Thank you for the heads up, OP. Not really sure why people are so worked up about you.

I have always wondered if this sort of thing happens if you share a thread to your FB profile. Can your friends see who you are on MN if they click on your link?
I once accidentally shared a MN thread to my FB page and immediately deleted it when I realised a few minutes later!
I was on the phone and the side of my face shared the thread to my FB somehow! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Can your friends see who you are on MN if they click on your link?
no, it’s fb and ig putting share id into links. Mumsnet doesn’t do that

Tut tut, OP. Please refrain from using this forum
in a way that is perfectly accepted by the people actually running it. You must only use it in a way that does not annoy people not remotely affiliated with it

After googling. They've have an ID to track posts since 2019. Just recently it's been done to show who actually sent the link. And it only shows it on recent links created

It’s not just sharing links to your profile, it’s if you share for example a reel and yes people could click on it and see who you are

I should have known better and just started a thread slagging off my MIL😂

No idea. Till you said. Thanks for saying

nope, mn can't see it, i asked them to check