Facebook recommends only adding people you know on the platform for a few key reasons related to privacy, security and having a positive experience on the site. When Facebook first launched in 2004, it was limited to Harvard students and required a university email address to sign up. The idea was to create an online directory and social network for college students. Even as Facebook expanded beyond universities, it maintained a policy that you needed a .edu email address to join. The idea was that this would keep the site limited to actual students and provide a level of privacy and security, since users would only be connecting with people they knew from their university.
Over time as Facebook opened up to everyone, this idea of only friending people you know in real life has remained a core tenet of how the platform is intended to be used. Here are some of the main reasons why Facebook emphasizes only connecting with friends you know personally:
Privacy and Security
Adding strangers on Facebook can pose risks in terms of privacy and security. Some of the potential issues include:
– Scammers and fake accounts – Scammers often try to connect with users on Facebook to appear more legitimate and then target them with phishing attacks or try to get personal information. Fake accounts also try to connect to make themselves look more real.
– Stalkers and harassers – By accepting friend requests from strangers, users open themselves up to potentially being stalked or harassed online.
– Oversharing personal information – Users often share more intimate life details with Facebook friends. This information could be used against them if made public to strangers.
– Identity theft – Strangers may be able to glean enough personal information from a Facebook profile to steal someone’s identity.
– Hacking – Having connections with many unknown accounts also makes a user more vulnerable to hacking attempts.
Curated Experience
Facebook’s algorithms are designed to show users the most relevant content for them – and this is primarily content that comes from friends and connections who they engage with regularly. Filling up your friends list with strangers means users will see less content from people they truly care about. It dilutes the curated experience Facebook aims to create.
Less Meaningful Interactions
The interactions people have on Facebook with close friends and family tend to be more meaningful. These are people who you share life experiences with and whose content you are most likely to care about. Interacting with strangers often leads to shallow exchanges that don’t enhance the Facebook experience.
Risk of Spam
Accepting friend requests from strangers opens up users to the risk of having their feeds cluttered up with spam content – from ads to clickbait links and other low-quality posts. This content is more likely to come from accounts simply trying to spread it around rather than meaningful interactions with real friends.
The History of Facebook’s “Real Name” Policy
For many years, Facebook also enforced a “real name” policy requiring users to sign up with their real first and last names. Here is a brief history of this controversial policy:
- When Facebook first launched in 2004, users were required to sign up with a university email address. This provided a level of identity verification.
- In 2006, Facebook opened up to the general public but continued recommending using real first and last names on profiles.
- In 2009, Facebook officially made real names mandatory across the platform.
- In 2014, Facebook began cracking down on enforcing its real name policy by suspending accounts it believed were using fake names.
- In 2015, after backlash from the LGBTQ community and others concerned about protecting their identities online, Facebook rolled back some of its real name enforcement efforts.
- In 2017, Facebook allowed users greater flexibility – though still recommending the use of real first and last names whenever possible for a consistent experience.
Facebook believed enforcing real identities would make users more accountable for their behavior and limit cyberbullying and trolling. However, many argued this disproportionately impacted marginalized groups and limited free speech. The policy remains controversial, though Facebook has loosened enforcement over time in favor of simply encouraging real names where possible.
The Risks of Connecting with Strangers
While some users choose to accept friend requests from anyone, there are risks associated with connecting with strangers on Facebook.
Potential Dangers
Here are some of the potential dangers of friending strangers on Facebook:
- Gaining access to personal information shared only with friends
- Making unwanted romantic advances or harassment
- Spreading misinformation or spam to your network
- Hacking your account or installing malware on your device
- Using details shared to steal your identity or commit fraud
- Stalking or other unwanted contact online and in the real world
Unfortunately, some people use Facebook connections as a way to glean information and gain trust for nefarious purposes. You never know who an unknown person really is behind the social media profile.
Account Security Risks
In one 2018 study analyzing 120 Facebook accounts, researchers found that users with more friends they did not actually know were much more likely to have their accounts compromised. Some of the signs that accounts with many random friends showed included:
- Suspicious logins from foreign IP addresses
- Posts sent at times the user was likely sleeping
- Messages with suspicious links being sent from their account
- Erratic changes in profile information
- Security settings randomly changed
The more unknown connections increased the risk of hackers gaining access and impersonating the real account owner.
Best Practices for Facebook Friending
Most experts recommend maintaining the following best practices for friending on Facebook for optimal privacy and security:
Be Selective When Accepting Requests
Scrutinize every friend request and only accept those from people you have met in person. Avoid accepting requests from vague acquaintances, indirect connections, or strangers.
Proactively Friend People You Know
Rather than waiting for requests, proactively search for and send requests to close friends, family members, coworkers, and other contacts you have an established relationship with. This prevents you from needing to accept requests from vague connections.
Organize Friends into Lists
Categorize friends into discrete lists like Close Friends, Family, Coworkers, etc. You can then customize the audience for your posts and information.
Limit Old Contacts
Evaluate if you still need to be connected on Facebook to acquaintances from long ago who you no longer interact with regularly. Consider removing dormant connections.
Enhance Security Settings
Leverage your privacy and security settings to limit the information friends of friends or public users can see about you. Customize these settings for better protection.
| Type of Friend | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Close friends and family | Accept request |
| Coworkers/classmates | Accept if you interact regularly |
| Friends of friends | Only accept if you know them personally |
| Strangers | Ignore or decline request |
The Impact of Fake Accounts and Scammers
Another reason Facebook emphasizes only connecting with real friends is to limit the presence of fake accounts and scammers. Some key stats:
- Facebook disabled 1.3 billion fake accounts in Q4 of 2018
- The company estimates that 3-4% of its worldwide monthly active users are fake accounts
- Facebook blocked 2.1 billion fake accounts in the first quarter of 2021
- Fake account creation is on the rise, with attacks becoming more sophisticated
Scammers, spammers, political operatives and others leverage fake accounts to spread misinformation, gain users’ trust, and drive traffic to malicious websites. Only connecting with known friends helps curb these risks.
Most Common Types of Fake Accounts
- Financial scammers
- Romance scammers
- Like farming accounts
- Accounts selling fake followers
- Impersonator accounts
- Political fake account networks
Fake accounts often friend tons of random users to appear more legitimate and bypass Facebook’s protections. Avoiding unknown friends helps stop them from reaching your network.
How Facebook Detects Fake Accounts
Facebook utilizes sophisticated technology and review methods to detect and disable millions of fake accounts each day. Some approaches include:
- IP and activity analysis to uncover suspicious logins or bursts of activity
- AI that analyzes profiles and posts for signs of inauthentic behavior
- User reports of fake accounts
- Reviews of suspicious activity
- Requiring identity confirmation for accounts doing high reach posting
Despite Facebook’s efforts, some fake accounts inevitably slip through. Users also play a critical role in protection by being vigilant about their connections.
Conclusion
Facebook was founded on the idea of connecting with and sharing information people you know in real life. While the platform has grown exponentially, maintaining privacy and security means maintaining this selectivity about friend connections. Facebook only wants users to connect with trusted contacts so they have the best experience free from harassment, scams, spam, and other malicious behavior. While users can accept friends freely, Facebook recommends sticking to real acquaintances for optimal safety across its platforms. Being choosy protects both individual users and the community.