Facebook’s “People You May Know” feature aims to help users connect by suggesting potential friends based on various data points. While this may seem helpful on the surface, it can raise significant privacy concerns. Many users have reported unexpected and sometimes uncomfortable suggestions, including ex-partners, clients, or even individuals involved in sensitive situations. These suggestions can feel invasive and unwelcome, especially if they stem from data sources users wouldn’t expect Facebook to use.
Improving your privacy on Facebook involves understanding how this feature works and navigating the settings to disable or minimize these suggestions. In this guide, we’ll explain how Facebook’s algorithm identifies “People You May Know,” why it could compromise your privacy, and how to manage or turn off this feature effectively.
Why Facebook’s “People You May Know” Feature Can Compromise Privacy
At its core, the “People You May Know” function uses a variety of data points, including but not limited to:
- Your existing friends
- Your phone contacts, if synced
- Geolocation data
- Mutual groups or events
- Workplace or school history
- People who have searched for your profile
The concern arises when Facebook uses hidden connections or off-platform data. For example, if you’ve shared a device, been in the same physical location as someone else, or interacted with a person on a third-party app linked to Facebook, that individual might appear in your suggestions—or vice versa.
This feature can inadvertently reveal private or unwanted associations, raise suspicions in professional circles, or prompt individuals from the past to reappear in your digital life. In sensitive situations, such as users leaving behind abusive relationships or navigating legal confines, this can be more than a nuisance—it can be a serious safety threat.
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How to Limit or Turn Off “People You May Know”
Although Facebook doesn’t provide a single, straightforward switch to completely disable “People You May Know,” there are several actions you can take to limit the data it uses and reduce the chances of these suggestions showing up. These involve adjusting privacy settings, removing synced contacts, and updating app permissions.
Step 1: Turn Off Contact Sync
Facebook can suggest friends based on the contacts saved in your phone. To prevent this:
- Open the Facebook app on your smartphone.
- Tap the Menu icon (☰).
- Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings.
- Under Permissions, tap Upload Contacts.
- Turn off the option that allows Facebook to upload and sync your contacts.
You should also delete any previously uploaded contact information. Here’s how:
- Visit https://www.facebook.com/mobile/messenger/contacts.
- Click on Delete All Contacts.
This action removes access to your address book, stopping Facebook from using those contact points to suggest friends.
Step 2: Modify Your Profile Information
People can appear in “People You May Know” based on workplace, education, and location information you include on your profile. Limiting this data can reduce visibility:
- Go to your Facebook Profile.
- Click Edit Profile.
- Remove or make private entries for:
- Workplace
- Education
- Current City
- Past Cities
To hide this information, set each field’s privacy to Only Me or remove the information entirely.
Step 3: Review and Revoke App Permissions
Facebook often connects with third-party apps and services, which may supply or receive data about you and your contacts. It’s important to audit and revoke unnecessary permissions:
- Go to Settings & Privacy then Settings.
- Select Apps and Websites.
- Review all listed apps and remove those you no longer use or trust.
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Step 4: Adjust Who Can Look You Up
Restricting who can find you based on your contact information helps you avoid appearing in stranger’s suggestions:
- In your settings, go to the Privacy section.
- Under How People Find and Contact You, modify the following:
- Who can look you up using the email address you provided?
- Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?
- Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?
- Set all options to Friends or Only Me.
Step 5: Hide From Stranger Interactions
Even if you’ve never contacted someone directly, mutual engagements through groups, comments or being tagged in the same photos can cause the algorithm to link people together. Avoiding unnecessary public interactions is wise:
- Limit your participation in public groups.
- Be cautious about tagging or being tagged in posts with people you don’t know.
- Set your friend list to private by visiting your profile, clicking on Friends, tapping the pencil icon, and choosing Edit Privacy.
What If You Still See Unwanted Suggestions?
Despite taking all the steps above, some users continue to see frustrating and intrusive friend suggestions. That’s because Facebook doesn’t offer a perfect opt-out from this algorithm. However, one additional option exists:
Use the Facebook Feedback Option
Facebook allows users to provide feedback on suggestions. If you consistently see someone you’d prefer to avoid, you can flag this for the platform:
- Click the three dots next to their name in the People You May Know section.
- Select Remove or Hide.
While this doesn’t guarantee they won’t be suggested again, it signals to the algorithm that this suggestion was not welcome.
A Note About Facebook’s Data Collection Philosophy
Facebook and its parent company, Meta, have built a multi-billion-dollar operation on data collection and behavior prediction. While it is possible to exert some control, it’s important to remember that total privacy within such platforms is limited by design. The more you interact, share, or link apps and contact lists, the more data becomes available to fuel algorithms for features like “People You May Know.”
To maintain optimal privacy:
- Regularly audit your Facebook privacy settings
- Limit data sharing with Meta-owned apps such as Instagram or WhatsApp
- Consider using Facebook in the browser rather than the app to reduce location and behavioral tracking
Conclusion
For privacy-conscious users, Facebook’s “People You May Know” feature isn’t just a convenience—it’s a potential vulnerability. While disabling it completely might not be feasible, you can take significant steps to minimize its impact. By reviewing your contact permissions, revising your profile visibility, and being more cautious about how you interact on Facebook, you can reduce the chances of showing up in—or receiving—unwelcome recommendations.
Ultimately, improving digital privacy requires vigilance, due diligence, and an understanding of how data is used. By managing the “People You May Know” feature, you’re taking an important step toward a more private, safe, and comfortable social media experience.
