Facebook: How to Know if Someone Is Stalking You

You know what they say: “Once it’s on the Internet, it’s there forever.” Digital technologies and social media have made it very easy for third parties to access data about virtually everyone. Facebook, in particular, is a great place to go if you want to digitally spy on someone.

But how do you know if someone’s indeed following your Facebook activities? Detecting digital paparazzi is not that simple, especially if they keep a low profile. This quick guide will list the most common telltale signs that indicate someone’s stalking you on Facebook.

How Do I Know If Someone Is Stalking Me on Facebook?

First, let’s define what “stalking” means in the social media context. A Facebook stalker is someone who checks out your activity more frequently than you’d feel comfortable. For example, maybe your neighbor appears to know way too many things about you. The problem is that you’re not close friends and rarely interact with them in real life.

One possible explanation for how they learned so much information about you is that they’re stalking you on Facebook.

There are two main categories of stalkers on Facebook: quiet stalkers who keep a low profile and not-so-quiet stalkers. Let’s see how you can spot the people in the first category.

Clues That Someone’s Stalking You On Facebook

Facebook doesn’t let you track who views your profile and posts. This means that you cannot extract a list of the people who checked your profile or posts over a given period. You can pay attention to clues that may indicate someone’s suspiciously interested in your Facebook activity.

Check Who Views Your Stories Regularly

Facebook Stories can only be viewed within 24 hours after you publish them. The good news is that you can track who views them. Run an experiment, and post a new story every day for two weeks. Then, list all the users who regularly checked your stories out. Most likely, your stalker is one of them.

Check What You Have in Common

Stalkers generally follow you everywhere. If they notice you joined a new Facebook group, they might join the same group shortly after. Check who keeps popping up in the groups you’re a member of.

The good news is that you can quickly check that information out. Facebook lets you see who’s in the same group. Simply click on Members to list all the group members. Check if someone’s in all or nearly all of the groups you’re a member of.

Some stalkers may even send friend requests to the people you often interact with on Facebook. Check if your Facebook friends have recently become friends with the same people.

Getting Likes and Comments on Old Posts

Stalkers often go through your timeline to learn more about your online activities. Sometimes, they may like your old posts and even comment on them. If you notice that someone suddenly started liking or commenting on posts from months or years ago, that’s a good indication they might be your stalker.

Block and Report Stalkers

If you’re 100 percent convinced you’ve successfully identified the stalker, the first step is to block them. Then, enable stricter privacy settings. For example, allow close friends only to see your posts and list of Facebook friends. The idea is to limit who can see your Facebook activities and interact with you on the platform.

Additionally, you can also report their profile to Facebook. Explain what made you fill out the report form. If your stalker becomes aggressive and you feel they could potentially harm you or the people you know, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement.

Conclusion

Spotting quiet stalkers on Facebook is not that obvious. Check if someone’s regularly checking out your Facebook Stories and joining the same groups as you. Stalkers often like and comment on posts you published months ago. The quickest and safest way to deal with stalkers is to block them and enable stricter privacy settings.

Have you ever been stalked on Facebook? What did you do to solve the problem? Share your thoughts in the comments below.