Technology

Rumor Patrol: Phone numbers on your facebook contacts list are private…and nothing new

You may have heard the rumor by now that Facebook has a Contacts feature that made the phone numbers of you and your friends visible to the public. Facebook released a statement to quell the rumor saying that 1) the public cannot see phone numbers in your Contacts list (only you can) and 2) that this feature is nothing new.

Here’s what Facebook said:

“Rumors claiming that your phone contacts are visible to everyone on Facebook are false. Our Contacts list, formerly called Phonebook, has existed for a long time. The phone numbers listed there were either added by your friends themselves and made visible to you, or you have previously synced your phone contacts with Facebook. Just like on your phone, only you can see these numbers.”

Although Facebook says this feature has been out for a while, increased awareness and subsequent rumors associated with the Contacts list adds to a long list of Facebook privacy concerns in the last few months. As of Friday evening, more than 9,700 people had commented on Facebook’s post about the rumor.

If you just joining the story or are confused as to what’s actually going on and what it all means? Here’s the breakdown.

What is the Contacts feature?

Facebook describes the Contacts list as a phone book that only you can see. “It includes numbers that 1) you may have synced from your phone or 2) your friends have chosen to share with you.”

Adjusting your privacy settings will allow you to control who sees your contact information. If you can see your friend’s phone numbers in your Contacts list, you could have always found them on their individual profile pages.

Facebook Includes Phone Numbers

You'd be surprised how many of your friends have their phone numbers posted on Facebook.

Where can you find your Contacts list?

To see your friends’ phone numbers on Facebook, click on Account and drop down to Edit Friends. From that page select Contacts from the left-hand side. There they are: a list of phone numbers that your friends have let you see or that are from your phone.

Can you see the phone numbers of strangers’ — or even friends of friends?

You should not be able to see phone numbers of people who are not your friends or who are not programmed into your smart phone that you have synced.

What is the point of the Contacts list?

The Contacts list is meant to be provide convenience (if you lost your phone, you could probably find some of the numbers you need there). According to Inside Facebook, Facebook also uses the feature to make relevant friend suggestions to you. If you are not already Facebook friends with a phone contact imported onto your Facebook Contacts list, Facebook may suggest you become friends.

What are some potential issues with this feature?

As Fox News reported, as many as 7.5 million kids under 13 years old are on Facebook.

“I think this is a wake-up call for sure for parents to get involved,” [Don] Debolt, [director of threat research for Internet security firm Total Defense] told FoxNews.com. “Teenagers that have Facebook accounts and mobile phones? Their numbers are being shared openly as well.”

Children using social networks are far more willing to accept friend requests from people they don’t know, even random strangers, warned Noah Kindler, founder of Social Shield, an online monitoring service that helps parents keep track of their children’s online activity.

“They don’t realize that the same rules that work offline — don’t talk to strangers — apply online as well,” Kindler told FoxNews.com. Parents simply peering over a child‘s shoulder every few minutes isn’t good enough, he advised. Yet that’s all too many parents do.

Once you friend someone, if you have your phone number visible to “friends”, then it will show up in their Contact list. This should be kept in mind when friending people you don’t really know,.

What can you do?

Don’t list your phone number on Facebook in the first place, or adjust your privacy settings to prevent anyone but your friends from seeing your phone number.

You can also unsync your phone and removed imported contacts from Facebook. To do this, log on to Facebook. Next, Inside Facebook says to go to the “Remove Imported Contacts page and click on the “Remove” button. In order to get all the imported contacts out of your Facebook mobile app, though, you’ll also need to delete that data directly from the device.”

Why is this an issue now?

Facebook is unsure of how the rumor started but a message being circulated around the site earlier this week about this feature raised alarm. People may not have been aware that they had synced their phone’s contact numbers with Facebook Mobile app. They also may not have know that the Contacts list on Facebook existed.

Comments (30)

  • Casca
    Posted on August 21, 2011 at 2:40pm

    I find it very convenient and loved slapping down the drama-folks on my friend’s list thinking it was available to everyone.

    Report Post » Casca  
  • Qoheleth
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:50pm

    When I first heard about this, it wasn’t purveyed in any way as if anyone but you could see your Facebook phonebook. All the message said was that “All of your cell-phone contact numbers, whether they’re Facebook friends or not, get transferred into Facebook.” That’s true if you use the Facebook app on your smartphone. My only objection is that it’s done by default (you have to uncheck the option to prevent it) and without really telling you that‘s what’s happening. The only potential problem with this would be if your Facebook account information was procured, either by individual or systemic hacking. It’s pretty easy to delete them all, so I did, just to avoid that potential.
    I like seeing feature pieces like this; putting the rumor to rest while explaining just exactly what is really happening.

    Report Post » Qoheleth  
  • sizzlinsexybeckster
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 4:21pm

    Those numbers are not private. Wake up white people! haha

    Report Post »  
  • HellAndBack
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 3:02pm

    Not afraid to have my info out there. Walk up, say Hi, shake my hand and I’ll have you over to the Farm for some Iced-Tea and good ol‘ fashoned BSin’ on the porch. Just bring your A conversation… I dont talk to idiots.

    Report Post » HellAndBack  
  • woemcat
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 2:24pm

    just don‘t use FB via cell phone and you’ll be fine. all this smart phone stuff is just too much!!!! a phone is to talk on. it’s not supposed to be a PDA and stuff. good grief! people complain about their phones being hacked, FB showing their phone number, etc. just don‘t go there and you’ll be fine. i know i sound like a crumudgen, but that’ll prevent lots of headache.

    Report Post » woemcat  
  • kurlyqqzz
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 1:47pm

    I was horrified when I saw all of the cell phone numbers that were made available on facebook in my contacts list. That’s the thing….NO ONE that I am friends with knew that those phone numbers were posted. Its true that I can only see those numbers of people I am friends with but that is no consolation. I have friended people who are only casual acquantances who I do not want to have my cell phone number. That being said, I never put my cell phone number online…not on facebook at all but yet my cell phone number was in others contact lists! Facebook took my cell phone number from my iphone and published it on my ‘friends’ contact lists and that is just wrong!!!!! They can make all the excuses they want but it is underhanded and uncalled for.

    Report Post »  
    • Phoenixsoulfire
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 2:45pm

      Bad thing is, it just takes a hacker to get on your fb find the numbers use them cell them to other hackers who might find ways to steal peoples Identity. How about not just having them on there at all I think. IMHO

      Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 3:20pm

      He didn’t put it on there. Regardless if he did if your friends, employer, doctor, or family use the internet as an online rolodex then they are recording your personal information for you without your consent. I already get on my friends for forwarding me emails without using BCC.
      “Why do I want everyone you know seeing my email address.”
      “Why do I want everyone they know forwarding the email again with my email address now in the body of the email?”
      People aren’t smart enough to figure this crap out.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbQTFWiZ1Hg

      Report Post » Pontiac  
  • MASSACHUSETTS MILITIA
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 12:10pm

    Facebook is nothing but a profile collector for the government.

    Report Post »  
    • Blackop
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 1:28pm

      No. FB sells the info to other for-profit companies for marketing purposes.
      And yes, they can see everyones’ phone numbers. they will sell anything that makes them a profit.
      Now aren’t you proud of the 21-century free market economy?

      Report Post »  
  • Pontiac
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 11:04am

    I remember having a link that allowed me, with a little tweaking to the url, to make someones facebook online/offline status active if they had it turned off. I’ve also had a fictitious account on MySpace which I cant even get on because that website is so badly coded it wont even mail me a new password. People used to hack into accounts on myspace all the time as well.
    These social media are NOT TO BE TRUSTED. I don’t even use my full name or real birth date when creating a email account. Using your real name for your email address is also one of the dumbest things you can do.
    ——————
    People are inherently stupid. That’s all there is to it.

    Report Post » Pontiac  
    • M 4 Colt
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 1:18pm

      Or how about this, i am in my mid 50‘s and don’t have a facebook page and don’t miss it! I can‘t get over how easy it is for everyone to get on this site and just type out everything private that is going on in their life’s for the world to see and then get upset when their phone numbers might be seen, GET REAL if you don‘t want things that are private to become public then DON’T put them on facebook or any other web page for that fact and then you have nothing to worry about. DUMB PEOPLE.

      Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 2:19pm

      Exactly, I‘ve been on the internet since the mid 90’s. Even before I could drive I knew enough not to use my full name or post other personal information because there was no reason for anyone to have it. The only websites that get my actual personal information are ones that I shop at. Ebay, newegg, etc. There was never a reason to give it to yahoo, aol, icq, or anything else. As far as those sites know I live in Beverly Hills. (90210)
      I have actually met airheads that respond to those fake Nigerian emails asking for their personal information. Their inbox’s have thousands of unread messages. Likely punching their email addresses (which contain their full name) into everything that ask for it. Their computers would also be infested with malware too… They’re usually kind, church going people but they are clueless and gullible beyond imagination. Luckily I’ve been a very pessimistic person for much of my life. I take little at face value.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
  • HuskerDave
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 10:49am

    Oh goodness, how scary! I mean, what if someone published everyone’s phone numbers in some big book, and then delivered it free to the doorsteps of everybody in town! The horror! Next, they would put numbers on the front of people’s houses, and then anyone could find you! Shocking!

    Honestly – if you don’t want your Facebook friends – or anyone else accessing Facebook – to have your phone number, then don’t put it in your profile. Wow, that was tough, eh?

    Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 2:23pm

      Problem is if your friends have your number and store it online it can become public. Cellphone numbers generally aren’t published. This is why I hate people that use Outlook or anything Microsoft to store my email on their computer. Anything by MS is going to keep getting exploited.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
  • LOLReally
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 10:34am

    This information is not availible to the public. Just as the BART riders personal info was private. I just got a notice in the mail saying that my vacation home’s mortgage company will share “public non personal information including credit report, bank account balances, credit card debt and adress to third party companys”. What is a third party? Anyone who pays them for the info. How is any of that “non-personal”? When the real estate market tanked they still need to pay for the new bently. These crooks are no better than the BART hackers, just legal robbery. I bet if you uread carefully Facebook does the same thing.

    Report Post »  
  • edcoil
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 10:17am

    I followed the instructions to remove them and got an email from facebook they were removed. If removed they had to be there in the first place right?

    Report Post »  
  • Sean In LI
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 9:34am

    People didn’t want contacts phone numbers uploaded to Facebook, yet they were. What’s more, Facebook reserves the right to reset, alter, amend their privacy agreement and settings at their discretion.

    What’s more, once you upload anything to Facebook (or any other website for that matter), that information is considered Facebook. Those are not your contacts on Facebook. That is contact information that you entered into/gave to Facebook. All data once entered into Facebook is Facebook’s, not yours.

    That’s what you get for signing up and being ignorant.

    Report Post »  
  • timej31
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 9:16am

    It’s nothing new is not an excuse. It’s as news as when it is discovered.

    Report Post » timej31  
  • jkendal
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:36am

    It’s really very simple. If you don‘t want information to be public then don’t put it on a public forum.

    Report Post »  
  • Luke21
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:35am

    Why is it people lack any common sense when it comes to these social media sites? It must be because it’s “shiny” & “cool” and/or “everybody’s doing it”. You’re being deceived. Wake up, before they turn on the gas. Orwell was correct, the difference is the system isn’t going to take our freedoms from us, we are handing them over willingly. I guess it just looks “too good not to eat”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/7951269/Young-will-have-to-change-names-to-escape-cyber-past-warns-Googles-Eric-Schmidt.html
    http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_ceo_suggests_you_change_your_name_to_escape.php

    Report Post »  
  • Codger
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:16am

    This is a case of people not understanding the complexity of the technology they’re using. There are a couple ways of getting your facebook friends phone numbers onto your facebook page. 1) your friends have their facebook page set to share their (entered) phone number, 2) when you bought that shiny new cell phone and first logged into facebook from it, you let it sync your contact list with your facebook account. And remember your friends have your number in their phones and they let their phones sync to facebook and your number is showing under their contact list on their facebook page but supposedly only they can see it.

    You need to poke around on your cell phone and disable the facebook sync feature or it’ll just keep re-syncing each time you access facebook from your phone.

    Report Post » Codger  
  • frodis
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:48am

    I did find it odd that my entire phone list was on the Facebook web site without ME asking them permission to do it. They must of snagged it when I uploaded a picture via cell phone. I don’t know who can access those numbers or not. With hackers today, I’d rather not take that chance.

    Report Post » frodis  
    • SingerGuy
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:20am

      Right at the top of your contact list it says this:

      Only you can see your contacts
      Your Contacts list is like a phonebook that only you can see. It includes numbers that 1) you may have synced from your phone or 2) your friends have chosen to share with you. To control who sees your contact information, visit your privacy settings.

      That’s pretty straight forward. It synced from your phone and only you can see it.

      Report Post » SingerGuy  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:40am

      It seems that every time we turn around, FaceBook is doing something with the privacy settings – then senting out a post saying they didn’t do it, it was always that way or some other BS. To me, I feel that Facebook is probably selling a lot of information to outside marketers for lots of money!!
      http://wp.me/pYLB7-1oT

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • jkendal
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 9:21am

      @ singerguy – I think frodis is more concerned about his contact numbers being uploaded without his knowledge than anything else – at least that’s how it sounded to me. Also, the fact that only you can see your contact list in facebook isn‘t nearly as important as the fact that facebook now has them and you can’t necessarily control what they do with them. Personally, I would want to know that my contact numbers were being uploaded to facebook automatically – and now that I DO know I won’t be synchronizing any of my mobile devices with facebook, guaranteed.

      Report Post »  
  • WVBeagleMom
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:26am

    The part that worries me is the kids friending strangers.

    Report Post »  
    • shirelover
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:40am

      me too, I don’t let the little one (he’s 10) get on facebook, even though it’s the best way to keep in contact with his mom

      Report Post » shirelover  
  • dissentnow
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:11am

    News?

    Report Post »  
    • SingerGuy
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:45am

      Feature. There’s a difference, and they both have a place here.

      Report Post » SingerGuy  

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