The question “how does Facebook suggest friends” is not less than a mystery masked under some algorithm. Lately, I came across some profiles on Facebook ‘People you may know(PYMK)’. Surprisingly, few of them were potential suggestions while some were unknown. You must have had a similar experience, don’t you?
How Does Facebook Suggest Friends?
The question “how does Facebook suggest friends?” staggered you and many others. Well, no definite answer has been given and found except the testimonies made by the company in last years. No doubt, you are curious to know them. But first, let us understand how does it affect our lives?
How Does It Affect The Lives Of People?
According to Facebook, the feature “People you May Know” can help you to connect to people on Facebook. And also help you to build new relationships with your friends and acquaintances who can be your childhood friends or others sitting at the other end of the world.
Well, that sounds great! For example, It might be favorable if you are new to Facebook. Looking for your friends from school or other cities but it’s obvious not to know their Facebook identity. Here comes the role of PYMK that eases your task of searching for people on a gigantic platform like this one.
However, there is always another side that might not come to your notice is, why your suggestion feed is filled with people you don’t want to be friends with or not know at all. Such repetition can be annoying for some of you.
Let’s see what Facebook has to say about this.
What Facebook Says About PYMK
Back in 2016, Facebook admits that there are four factors behind the algorithm PYMK including many other factors. Let us understand each one separately.
The first factor talked about having one or more mutual friends (according to Facebook’s help center). The second factor, having people in the picture who are either on the same Facebook group or photos as you. The third factor is synchronized contact details with Facebook from email and phone and last but not least is the people who have gone to the same school, college or have worked in the company as you.
What about the line “Many Other Factors” Facebook retracted in the same year when the Guardian published an article covered by a journalist, Kashmiri hills. This article talks about how Leila, a sex-worker was recommended suggestions of her client on Facebook PYMK. Not limited to this even her clients got her(real account) shown in the suggestion feed as well. It was horrific for her and many others as their real identity was going out. However, after Hill reported that location services were one of the Other Factors, Facebook retracted it.
Though, Facebook hasn’t revealed the algorithm working on PMYK. Yet few incidents throw light on the factors including the four aforementioned and others not mentioned by the company. Such instances gave rise to factors that the company denies like location tracking.
Besides this, there are available options that will save you from unnecessary people getting pop-ups in your suggestion feeds.
Turn Off Notifications On Facebook
- Open Facebook > Three horizontal lines on the right bottom > Settings > Notifications Settings.
- Now you will see the list of notifications you can mute. Turn Off any notification you want to avoid.
Turning Off Location On Facebook
- Go to your phone Settings > Facebook.
- Now, tap on Location and select Never.
In addition to this, we have some tips for you that will increase your privacy and save you from the headache of getting unwanted suggestions.
Tip 1: You have an option that lets you choose to allow and disallow Facebook to track your location. And that too when you are not using the application with the background location option.
It would be more beneficial if keep it turned off.
Tip 2: In the era of GPS(Global Positioning System), spoofing isn’t a thing to utter but in this case, spoofing your location can be of some help. Let them think that you are sitting at the other corner of the world while you are not. Also, check your IP address and you will see that the location has been changed.
Or you can deactivate/delete your Facebook account. In this way, you will be saved from being under 24×7 surveillance and the emotional and societal burden of accepting the requests from the people you don’t want to. Before you put this method into practice, consider other things and make a wise decision that you will not regret later.
Nonetheless, there are possibilities of sharing your data by shady tracking firms as publishes by Security Boulevard. To know more click on this link.
Yes, if you look at someone’s Facebook page, they will not know that you looked at their page.
Yes, Facebook can suggest you the friend which is in your contact list.
The green dot means that they are active on Facebook.
