When You Look at Someone's Profile on Facebook, Will They Know?

You're up late, browsing your ex's Facebook profile, which inevitably leads to checking out their new partner and all their friends. Halfway through your cyberstalking, a question suddenly occurs to you. If you search a person on Facebook and view a profile, what happens? In your worst imaginings, your ex receives an alert that you've been checking them out. However, Facebook doesn't let users track who visits their profiles, and it doesn't permit third-party apps to do it.

As you're browsing around, perhaps trying to get to know someone's friends on Facebook, you may wonder exactly what people can see when you look at their profile. Although you'll occasionally see an app or method that claims to provide this information, none of them work. Facebook asks that if any user runs across such an app to let the social media site know so it can shut it down. This means you're free and clear to look at all the Facebook profiles you want anonymously.

Just as you can't see who views your profile, others can't see that you've been around. If you post a video on your profile, you'll get some views, but unless the viewer likes or comments on the video, you never know who those people were.

However, there are questions about Facebook friend suggestions based on profile views.

One reason people wonder "If we search a person on Facebook what happens?" is that they see friend suggestions based on people they know. You may even find that your ex shows up in those friend suggestions. That may make you wonder if Facebook friend suggestions are based on profile views.

While people speculate about a relationship between anonymous profile views and friend suggestions, Facebook says it uses other criteria for its suggestions including mutual friends, being in the same group, being tagged in photos together, going to school or working together, and contacts you've uploaded to make those suggestions.

If you search a person on Facebook and view a profile, what happens? It isn't clear whether Facebook tracks this information, but if it is collecting the information, it's to track user behavior. The site doesn't deliver it to other people. You can get to know someone's friends on Facebook or spy on your ex without worrying about being caught.

Even if you don't see Facebook friend suggestions based on profile views or know the information on your behavior is not shared with others, you still have to be careful. If you accidentally like a photo on one of the pages you're secretly visiting or make a comment, your name is associated with it. The profile owner may never notice, but if she happens to be online at the time, you are busted. You must stay hands-off to remain anonymous.