Facebook Is Spying On You Again
MENLO PARK, Calif. (CBS) -- Facebook's "suggested friends" feature can help you connect with an old college buddy, the neighbor from down the street or maybe someone you went to grade school with. Even if they look different from how you remember them in fourth grade, you can usually tell where you may know them from by the mutual friends you share.
Facebook however, may also be suggesting some profiles despite having zero friends in common.
According to CBS News, Facebook is now suggesting some friends based on geological data from your smartphone. That means they might suggest friends who frequent the same places as you, live in the same area or someone who is close to you -- literally.
Facebook already keeps tabs on users' internet habits -- meaning it's no coincidence that sneaker ads keep popping up in your news feed after buying a pair online.
But if you're uncomfortable with this new way of location tracking, the good news is that it can be turned off.
iPhone users can tap on "Settings" from your smartphone home screen and open "Privacy" options. Then scroll down to Facebook to switch off location sharing.
Android users can turn off their location sharing by tapping the "Apps" icon under "Settings," scrolling down to Facebook and selecting "Permissions." From there they can set their "Location" to off.
Of course if people decide they want to make new friends and meet people in their town they can always turn the setting back on.
