When social media sites like Facebook suggest “People You May Know”, it can seem a bit creepy and make you wonder how they figured out you might know that person. There are a few different ways sites like Facebook determine who to show you in the People You May Know section.
They Were on Your Page
One possibility is that the person was looking at your profile page. When someone visits your page, Facebook can log that visit and then show that person to you as a suggestion in People You May Know. So if an old classmate, coworker, or friend of a friend has been snooping on your page, you may see them pop up as a recommendation.
Facebook doesn’t notify users when someone views their profile, so the person visiting your page likely has no idea you’re now seeing them as a friend suggestion. All they did was look at your profile, and now Facebook’s algorithms are making the connection behind the scenes.
You Were on Their Page
The reverse can also happen – if you’ve been looking at someone else’s profile, Facebook may show them to you as a friend suggestion afterwards. For example, if you’ve been cyberstalking a crush or an ex’s new partner, don’t be surprised if they show up in People You May Know soon after.
Again, the person won’t be notified that you looked at their page. But Facebook’s algorithms will have noticed the connection and taken your viewing of their profile as a sign you might know each other.
You Have Friends in Common
The most common reason for someone appearing as a friend recommendation is having overlapping friends and connections. Facebook’s friend suggestion tool looks at your existing friends and who they are connected to. When it identifies people with multiple mutual friends with you, it assumes you might know each other and should be connected.
For example, if you went to the same high school or college as someone else, but weren’t Facebook friends yet, you likely have dozens or hundreds of mutual friends and acquaintances. Facebook picks up on those common connections. The more mutual friends you share, the more likely Facebook is to suggest you connect.
You’re in the Same Groups or Networks
Even if you don’t have individual friends in common with someone, being members of the same Facebook groups or fan pages can trigger a friend suggestion. For example, maybe you both joined your college’s official Facebook group, or you’re both fans of a local sports team’s page. Facebook considers common group membership as a sign you might know each other.
Similarly, belonging to the same professional networks on Facebook, like your employer’s company page, can lead to friend suggestions of coworkers or industry peers you’re not yet connected to on Facebook.
Contact and Geographical Data
In some cases, Facebook may pull info from your contact lists and device settings to generate friend recommendations. If someone else has your email address or phone number in their contacts, Facebook can match that data to suggest you connect. And people who live in your area or recently visited the same location may show up as well.
So if an old acquaintance still has your contact info in their address book, Facebook can find the connection and use it to recommend you as friends, even if you have no mutual connections otherwise.
Algorithmic Guesswork
Facebook’s algorithms also use more complex machine learning techniques to analyze patterns, make educated guesses, and suggest friends. The AI looks at things like your demographics, language, facial recognition matches in photos, and overall activity patterns to find people it thinks could be connected to you somehow.
These algorithmic friend recommendations based on data analysis of profiles can seem really random sometimes. You may get suggested friends you’re pretty sure you don’t know at all. But Facebook’s AI thinks it’s found a connection of some sort it believes could indicate you know each other.
Advertisers and Partners
Finally, some People You May Know suggestions come directly from advertisers and third-party partners. If you’ve interacted with a website or app off of Facebook, and that site shares friend data with Facebook, you may get friend recommendations based on those external connections.
For example, if you meet someone using a dating app or are connected on LinkedIn, those services may share their friendship/connection data with Facebook. Then those people will show up for you as friend suggestions, even without any obvious mutual connections.
Should You Be Concerned?
Seeing someone unexpected in People You May Know can be a bit of a shock, or make you feel like you’re being watched. However, in most cases it’s just Facebook’s algorithms working behind the scenes to analyze data and look for connections. The person likely has no idea you’re seeing them as a suggestion. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Don’t assume malicious intent. The person probably didn’t “hack” Facebook to monitor you.
- Be flattered. Often it means someone was interested enough to look at your profile.
- Make your profile public. Keeping it private means missing out on chances to reconnect.
- Reach out and say hi. Turn the awkwardness into a chance to catch up.
- Update your settings. Adjust friend suggestions and visibility if needed.
While you can’t always control who Facebook suggests as friends, the feature is usually more helpful than harmful in connecting you with people you may actually know. With over a billion users, connections happen that you often wouldn’t expect. So consider People You May Know a mostly-helpful way for Facebook to leverage its massive social graph.
Conclusion
When you see someone unexpected in People You May Know, don’t panic. In most cases, it’s just Facebook’s algorithms finding links between you and other users on its platform. The reasons can include mutual friends, group memberships, browsing history, contact data, location, advertisers, and complex analytical guesswork. While creepy at times, friend suggestions are Facebook’s way of harnessing its huge social ecosystem to help you connect.