According to Facebook, it suggests other users “based on mutual friends, work and education information, networks you’re part of, contacts you’ve imported, and many other factors.” One of those factors, it was reported on Monday, is your current and previous locations.
“People You May Know are people on Facebook that you might know,” a Facebook spokesperson told Tech Worm. “Location information by itself doesn’t indicate that two people might be friends. That’s why location is only one of the factors we use to suggest people you may know.”
Theoretically, if you frequent the same Starbucks as someone you also went to college with, they will likely be suggested. Still, if you aren’t already Facebook friends with someone you know, it’s usually for a reason.
There are also other concerns about suggesting friends in this manner. People could be presented with someone who has been harassing them at a bar, or women who have been to Planned Parenthood could be suggested to an unhinged protester.
To stop the social media platform from including your location in this algorithm, access your phone’s privacy settings, select Facebook, and switch your “share location” from “always” to “never.”
“If Facebook were using smartphone location that way, it may well have violated its agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, which requires that the company get affirmative consent from its users to use their information in new ways and requires the company ‘to protect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers’ information.’ Outing users’ identities to strangers because they were near each other for an extended period of time might be frowned upon,” Fusion reported.
On Monday evening, the company walked back the claims in a statement to Fusion, insisting that using location data was only part of a temporary test, and was not used on the general public.
“We’re not using location data, such as device location and location information you add to your profile, to suggest people you may know. We may show you people based on mutual friends, work and education information, networks you are part of, contacts you’ve imported and other factors.”
