Facebook groups have become an incredibly popular way for people to connect over shared interests, causes, hobbies, locations, and more. With over 1.8 billion monthly active users on Facebook, groups provide a platform for like-minded individuals to gather in a virtual community. While most Facebook groups are open and public, some group administrators make their groups “secret”, meaning the group doesn’t show up in search results and is invisible to non-members. This allows members to share content and discuss topics in a more private setting. So do secret Facebook groups still exist in 2023? Let’s explore this topic further.
What are secret Facebook groups?
Secret Facebook groups are groups that are not visible to people who are not members. Some key features of secret Facebook groups include:
- They do not show up in Facebook searches, even if a non-member knows the exact name of the group.
- Only current members can see who else is in the group or what content has been posted.
- A person must be added by a current member or administrator to join a secret group.
- The “secret” privacy setting prevents the group from being shared publicly.
Secret groups are often used for more sensitive topics that members want to discuss more privately, without attention from the broader Facebook community. They provide an extra level of privacy and exclusivity.
Why do people create secret Facebook groups?
There are a few main reasons why group administrators make their Facebook groups secret:
- Privacy – Secret groups allow members to share personal stories, discuss private matters, and bond over sensitive topics without scrutiny from outsiders.
- Exclusivity – The extra privacy creates an exclusive club feeling. Members feel special being part of a group not everyone can join.
- Control – Admins maintain tighter control over membership and content when groups are secret. This prevents unwanted outside attention.
- Niche topics – Secret groups work well for connecting people with specific interests that may not appeal to the mainstream.
While public groups can certainly discuss private matters, the secret setting provides an added layer of protection and exclusivity that many members appreciate.
What types of groups tend to be secret?
Secret Facebook groups often focus on more sensitive, personal, or controversial topics. Here are some common examples of secret group themes:
- Health conditions and support groups (e.g. mental health, cancer, addiction)
- Parenting and family (e.g. adoption, LGBTQ families, special needs kids)
- Professional groups (e.g. therapists, social workers, teachers)
- Minority communities and identities (e.g. religious, LGBTQ, ethnic groups)
- Hobbies with stigmas or controversies (e.g. guns, weed, conspiracy theories)
- Secret/anonymous posting groups for gossip, confessions, etc.
- Private buying/selling groups (to control quality and membership)
These types of personal, stigmatized, or niche topics benefit from the extra privacy and exclusivity of secret groups where members can openly discuss details amongst vetted members.
How secret are secret Facebook groups?
Secret Facebook groups are designed to keep content and members hidden from the public eye. However, they are not completely invisible. Here are some ways secret groups can still be discovered:
- Facebook’s algorithms can suggest secret groups to new members based on groups their friends have joined.
- Anyone invited to join can see the full group content and member list.
- Group names may give away the subject matter despite not appearing in searches.
- Facebook owns all data within secret groups and could access it if compelled legally.
- Hackers or rogue employees could potentially access data from secret groups.
So while secret groups are more private than public groups, members should not assume complete secrecy or that groups are invisible to Facebook itself. The “secret” setting still provides meaningful privacy protections, but not absolute confidentiality.
The rise and fall of secret Facebook groups
Secret Facebook groups saw a surge in popularity in the 2010s. By 2016, it was estimated that for every 1 public group there were 2.6 secret groups. The growth of secret groups far outpaced public groups.
However, since peaking around 2016-2018, secret group growth has slowed while public groups continue to thrive. There are a few reasons for this decline:
- Increased privacy awareness – More users realized risks of sharing personal data.
- Content leaks – High profile cases of secret group content being leaked publicly.
- Admin challenges – Harder for admins to control large secret groups.
- Facebook growth features – Public groups promoted more in feeds and recommendations.
While secret groups are not as ubiquitous as a few years ago, they still fill an important role in connecting niche communities. Their slower growth reflects an ongoing evolution in how people evaluate privacy tradeoffs when sharing personal information online.
Secret Facebook group membership over time
| Year | Public Groups | Secret Groups |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10 million | 400,000 |
| 2012 | 80 million | 15 million |
| 2016 | 100 million | 250 million |
| 2019 | 500 million | 300 million* |
*Approximate estimate of secret groups in 2019
The rise of other private online groups
As secret Facebook groups have declined somewhat in popularity, new types of private online groups have risen to fill a similar role. For example:
- Messaging apps – WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal groups allow private chats.
- Private forums – Niche forums like Reddit, Tapatalk, etc. can be made private.
- Paid groups – Patreon, Discord, and Facebook Groups now allow paid tiers.
- Email newsletters – Newsletter platforms like Substack and Revue enable private distribution.
These newer options provide privacy while avoiding some limitations of secret Facebook groups. However, Facebook groups still benefit from the platform’s massive built-in user base.
Do secret Facebook groups still have a place?
Despite some challenges in recent years, secret Facebook groups still serve an important role in 2023. Key advantages they retain include:
- Huge built-in audience – unrivaled access to 2+ billion Facebook users.
- Established platform – intuitive interface, familiar to most people.
- Advanced features – polls, chat, events, rules, moderation, etc.
- Trust and norms – established culture and expectations around groups.
For all their flaws, secret Facebook groups can still provide value when used judiciously. They should be seen as just one option alongside newer private group platforms.
When secret groups remain a good option
- The group needs to quickly reach a large niche audience.
- All members are already active on Facebook.
- Privacy from general Facebook community, but not Facebook itself, is acceptable.
- Members understand privacy limits and risks.
- Topic benefits from some exclusivity.
Best practices for secret Facebook groups
If operating a secret Facebook group, admins should follow best practices like:
- Carefully vet all members allowed to join.
- Establish clear rules and moderation policies.
- Remind members not to share sensitive medical details.
- Frequently back up important conversations outside Facebook.
- Promote a respectful, supportive culture.
- Keep group focused on core purpose.
Following guidelines like these helps maximize the benefits of secret groups while minimizing potential downsides.
Conclusion
Secret Facebook groups experienced rapid growth in the 2010s as people sought more private online community options. However, data scandals, privacy concerns, leaks, and shifting cultural attitudes have led to a decline in secret group creation more recently.
Still, secret Facebook groups continue to fill an important role in 2023 for specific audiences who value their privacy protections, exclusivity, and access to Facebook’s massive user base. They can facilitate sensitive discussions unlikely to thrive publicly.
Secret groups are just one evolving option within a broader landscape of private online communities. When used deliberately by people who understand their limitations, secret groups retain clear benefits in the right circumstances.