How does suggestions work on facebook

I have no common friends and this person is far removed in my network of friends. Unless this person suddenly remembered me after almost twenty years since I have contacted them, then I have no other explanation. In a recent Vice investigation into how this suggested friend list happens, David Liben-Nowell, a computer science professor at Carleton College who studies the structure and evolution of social networks said:. It would almost be silly for them not to: if you've shown an interest in a person while using Facebook, then you've as good as told Facebook that you might want to have some kind of relationship with them.

I mean, that makes even more sense, if you think about it. This one is a definite yes. In one of the many app updates, you will have inadvertently synced all your phone contacts to Messenger. It's kinda creepy when you see a girl who you met one time and didn't even know her last name, but somehow they are suggested for you.

The official line on this is no. Well there you are then. But the other, less speculative, solution is that you have their number on your Whatsapp contacts. Yes - indirectly.

Does Facebook somehow know this? Does Facebook somehow know this too? Have I fed the website enough information over the years for it to understand who I might or might not get along with? My most common recommendations are people I, as a journalist, have interviewed for stories. Mysteries remain about PYMK Hill has created a tool you can use to help her figure out the algorithm, though naturally Facebook claimed it violated its terms of service.

There are a number of potential reasons why Velasco, Everage, and Kaelin saw the recommendations they did. This is the most common reason for suggestions Your profile information and networks example: your school, university or work Your Facebook activity example: joining groups, being tagged in photos Contacts you or someone you may know uploaded to Facebook and Messenger.

If you upload your contacts through the Facebook app, learn how to manage contact uploading. If someone has uploaded their contacts and it includes your mobile phone number or email address, you may show up as friend suggestions for each other. Change the privacy settings for your friends list. Limit who can send you friend requests to friends of friends. Adjust who can look you up using your email and mobile phone number. Was this helpful? Related Articles. What does Facebook Shop do with my information?

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