Facebook - People You May Know

[237SJ]

I`m not very familiar with Facebook because I only joined to belong to a particular group. When I used to log on, I got a list of people who I may know. I think I must have turned it off at some point but I want to turn it back on so that I can see who`s been looking at my profile. Does anyone know how to do it?

[hc4361]

It won't show who's been looking at your profile. It will show facebook friends of your facebook contacts, facebook users who have your email address and possibly facebook users in your email address book.

[Retrochic]

^^^wrong! I've had 'people you may know' come onto my FB who I deffo would not want to be friends with and I know for a fact are not 'friends of friends'. I know people will disagree with this but I'm sure FB can follow who does a search for you or who looks on your page even if its set to 'friends only'.

[ummmm]

I get 'friends you might know' and we have no friends in common.

[Hypognosis]

@hc4361

//facebook users who have your email address//

How does this come about? If they are people who you've not ever friended, for example?

Things like using the same email for FB registration as I use for online shopping, I could understand. The only people otherwise privy to it would be whoever can view user emails on forums, like AB; employers, places you sent job applications to, GP, dentist, vet

Let me know if I've missed a more technically oriented route.

[hc4361]

Hypnogsis, FB can access your email account if you allow them to. FB messenger can access your phone contacts. It doesn't take a computer much to match the details to find the FB user and send that message without you knowing.
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/can-stop-facebook-messenger-accessing-contacts/

So if the dentist's receptionist uses the dentist's email address to create an email account it is possible that all of the patients email addresses can be accessed by FB and send these 'people you may know' messages.

[Retrochic]

^^^ blinking heck!

[237SJ]

I guess the answer is "I don`t know" Never mind

[237SJ]

Thinking again, I agree with Retrochic. I don`t have any Facebook friends (don`t want any of that) and nobody has my email address. I defintely think that the People You May Know are people who have searched for my name.

[sherrardk]

Or it could be people who have searched for people with the same name as you, but not necessarily you (if you see what I mean).

[Hypognosis]

@hc4361

Thanks for explaining. A worrying state of affairs although, the minute I saw "let FB access your email address book" my reaction was "no (expletive) way". People who gave me their email addresses did so *in confidence* and I have no business letting a third party organisation get hold of it.

Your scenario was, I duspect, exaggerated for effect
//So if the dentist's receptionist uses the dentist's email address to create an email account it is possible that all of the patients email addresses can be accessed by FB and send these 'people you may know' messages.
//

indeed, the above example would put the dentist in breach of the data protection act (in UK). A sensible IT setup would, of course block employees from making any such security blunders. Staff with no cause to generate or receive email shouldn't even be able to run the Outlook/Live Mail software required to read it. Then again, there's webmail and blocking the web browser would be a bit draconian unless it really is an inappropriate timewaster in the context of many job types.

Anyway, we know Facebook is one of many user-data wh*res online: it's the core of their business model. It's just depressing that, no matter how careful I am about my friends' e-addresses, I only need one careless friend for me to end up in some marketing database or some spammer's list.

[hc4361]

You really do need several email accounts if you're worried about your privacy.

One for signing up to sites you may never access again; one for friends and family; one for businesses you deal with such as banks, utility suppliers and insurance; and one for social media.

[jno]

I once was asked if I'd like to be someone's friend on FB. I'd never heard of him. On investigation it turned out he was a friend of X, a person I did know. But X does not have my email address and I don't have hers; we've only ever been in touch in the real world, either face to face or exchanging letters. I've never understood how this happened.

[rockyracoon]

I also think that if you 'like' certain pages or join groups then all those people who have done the same also pop as friends suggestions.

[ukbod2015]

slightly off topic but for your safety please take a moment or two to explore some of the links produced by this google search "facebook hacks problems"

[sherrardk]

I've just had the 'people you may kniw'thing come up & the first suggestion is Gary Barlow (from Take That) - I know for a fact I haven't searched for him & I'm pretty sure he's not been searching for me.