Facebook Removes Visibility in Search Privacy Control

Facebook has removed the ability for people to remain anonymous in searches on the website.

The social network announced that it has removed the “Who can look up your Timeline by name?” feature. This feature had allowed users to remain anonymous in search – and with the most secure setting switched on, users could ensure that people typing their name wouldn’t see that they had an account on the website.

Users can run, but they can no longer hide. The removal of the feature means that all users will show up in search results, even if the search is being carried out by a stalker or admirer. This essentially means that anybody searching for your name will be able to see that you have a Facebook account.

Trying to defend the decision, Facebook said the security feature made the website “feel broken” at times.

“People told us that they found it confusing when they tried looking for someone who they knew personally and couldn’t find them in search results, or when two people were in a Facebook Group and then couldn’t find each other through search,” said a Facebook spokesperson.

It added that users can still choose what they want to share with others, and that users can limit the audience that they share posts with.

“To quickly control who can find posts you shared in the past, visit the privacy settings page,” Facebook’s spokesperson added. “With one click, you can limit the audience of posts you’ve shared in the past. This means any posts that were previously shared with Friends of Friends or Public will now be shared just to Friends.”

Of course, if you really don’t want to be found on Facebook, you also have the option of deleting your account.

This article was originally published on http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/news/2300217/facebook-users-can-no-longer-remain-anonymous-in-search.