What is Facebook Stalking? How to Find Facebook Stalkers?

Over 3.049 billion monthly active users use Facebook. So, the main question arises: is it safe to use Facebook? Facebook is a secure and safe social networking website. It has built-in security and privacy settings, which keep our privacy and safeguard our personal information. But sometimes, an individual can become a victim of Facebook stalking.

Cyberstalkers most often use social media websites to target their victims. Facebook is among the best social media platforms for connecting with anyone. A cyberstalker can use Facebook to threaten and harass a victim. Reaching the victim on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media platforms where the victim is an active user can become the easiest way.

According to a survey on online harassment conducted by the Pew Research Centre’s American Trends Panel in July 2017, about 40% to 41% of American people who use social media websites regularly experience these types of cyberstalking problems. 18% of them were severely affected. Sometimes, it is a minor problem, but sometimes, it becomes severe. The gender that is targeted the most is women.

There is no fixed or legal definition of stalking. It can vary with state laws. All states in the United States have cyberstalking laws. We will learn about these laws in the latter part of the article.

So, for an idea, stalking means “An unwanted or specific behavior towards a person directly or indirectly to make him/her feel unsafe or distressful is known as stalking.”

Similarly, “Facebook stalking can be defined as where one Facebook user follows the online activities of another user and causes emotional distress, unnecessary fear, a threat to life, or other trouble.”

A Facebook stalker can be a girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, enemy, batchmate, relative, neighbor, or any other stranger.

Facebook stalking

What is Facebook Stalking?

Facebook claims there is nothing like Facebook stalking, but people keep trying to stalk people on Facebook. Do you know what a Facebook stalker can do? A Facebook stalker can do many abnormal activities on social media and can stalk you or your friends, for example,

  • a cyberstalker can check your public profile,
  • send unnecessary messages and pictures,
  • trace your social media activities,
  • intrude on your personal life,
  • likes and comments on every photograph,
  • look at your Facebook page using other Facebook pages,
  • or befriend your friends to get more information about you.

In physical stalking or surveillance stalking, the stalker chases an individual and his/her social activities. While in cyberstalking, a stalker uses the internet, technology, or electronic means without physical contact to stalk a victim.

Who is a Facebook Stalker?

We have already discussed Instagram Stalker or Instastalker. Let’s talk about Facebook stalkers. The action defines the types of stalking, but when personalities are combined with the action, that defines the stalker. There are the following types of Facebook stalkers:

Quiet Stalker

Unlike other types of stalkers, a quiet stalker never sends a message, likes, comments, or pokes you but always checks your profile, views photos, statuses, and stories, and judges you for every activity.

Facebook Follower

Facebook can follow a person without being his/her friend. A Facebook follower can stalk you as a follower and have access to your public profile and posts.

Like Stalker

Such a Facebook stalker likes all your photos, cover photos, stories, and posts and ensures you are aware of stalking activities.

Comment Stalker

This type of stalker feels confident that you will like his/her comments on your posts, photos, and stories.

Friendship Stalker

This type of stalker will send you a friendship request and let you know that he/she is the best person to be your best friend, so you should accept his/her Friend request.

Psycho Friend Requester

A psycho friend requester immediately sends a new friend request as you cancel his/her previous request. You may need to block such a friend requester.

Timepass Stalker

This is a timepass stalker message to spend time and enjoy yourself with an unknown person like you. The language may be funny or irritating.

Your Ex

Love or jealousy can bring your ex back into your life. He/she can turn into a Facebook stalker to check how your life is going or find out about you.

Types of Stalkers

After knowing the type of Facebook stalkers, learn a little about the type of stalkers. It will be helpful to identify a cyberstalker. Many psychologists have tried to categorize the types of stalkers. These are the following-

Rejected Stalker

A person becomes sad/distressed when his/her romantic relationship or friendship ends. Such Facebook stalkers can be self-centered, jealous, over-dependent, and persistent.

Resentful Stalker

This type of FB stalker feels humiliated due to a breakup. They seek revenge on the victim and can verbally humiliate him/her.

Predatory Stalker

Such a stalker seeks power and sexual gratification. They do not physically appear but use surveillance to enquire about the victim.

Intimacy Seeker

This stalker seeks a romantic relationship with the victim. A rejected FB stalker can continually phone the victim, write letters, and become jealous when the victim enters into a new relationship.

Incompetent Suitor

It is another stalker who usually has inadequate social skills.

How to Know Who Stalks Me on Facebook?

Do these questions ever come to your mind?

  • Who stalks me on Facebook?
  • Who stalked me on Facebook?
  • How to tell if someone is stalking you on Facebook?
  • How do you see who’s stalking you on Facebook?
  • How do you know if someone is stalking you on your Facebook timeline?
  • How do you see who is stalking your Facebook profile?
  • How do you know who is stalking you on Facebook?

Friend Requests from Unknowns

When users get a friend request from any other Facebook user, they don’t know.

Pictures of Friends on Your Profile

When you check your Facebook profile, you will see a list of “Friends.” Facebook does not display pictures of your friends. It is the part of the Facebook algorithm that gives the user insight into who has recently viewed or visited his/her profile.

Facebook Friends List Order Stalking

The Facebook algorithm prioritizes friends with whom you are frequently connected. Thus, it is easy to identify who has not talked to you recently, and that is a sign that the user is stalking you on Facebook.

Unaccepted Friend Requests

Sometimes, when you get a friend request, do not accept it or block the user. But friend requests are coming repeatedly, or that person reappears with a new profile and is trying to connect with you. Then, it is a warning sign that he/she is paying so much attention, and it’s stalking you on Facebook.

Active Sessions

Another useful feature is the active sessions that you should not ignore. That feature lets you see where and when your Facebook account was signed in. It also allows you to know what device was used. You can become extra sure that your Facebook account is hacked.

How to Find Facebook Stalkers?

It can be hard to tell if someone stalks you on Facebook or is just exceptionally interested in your life. Here are some tips for finding FB stalkers:

Facebook Comments

Facebook stalker comments on your every post. Such a person wants your attention, and there is the only way to get all your attention.

A stalker commenting on your old posts goes through your Facebook timeline and finds past posts.

Facebook Likes

A Facebook stalker can like all your photos to show extreme interest in you.

Private Messages

They send you private messages in your inbox, which may be frequent. They could have gained some knowledge only by examining your profile in depth.

Top of Your Friend List

They show up at the top of your friend list. Facebook’s algorithm puts those people who interact with you the most (or whom you interact with) at the top of your friend list. If someone is not a close friend and appears at the top of the friend list, this is a red flag for Facebook stalking.

Request on Other Social Media

They request that you follow them on other social media sites. If a user suddenly gets requests to follow all your social media accounts from an unknown person, it is a sign that they want to know even more about you.

How to Prevent Facebook Stalking?

Suppose someone is stalking a person and becomes a victim of Facebook stalking. So, the best way to avoid cyberstalking is to deactivate the Facebook account until and unless the matter is solved. Apart from all that, if you want to take a risk and want to continue the use of Facebook, then it should be beneficial for a FB stalker to follow your actions, and you can’t prevent yourself from Facebook stalking:

Accept Friend Request Wisely

The best way to avoid cyberstalking is to keep the profile private, use privacy settings, and avoid accepting unnecessary friend requests.

Keep Your Data Private

You should never post the following information-

  • Any clue about your login details and passwords
  • Maiden names
  • Birthday
  • Anniversary
  • Contact information, like phone number, email, address, etc.
  • Anything about family members, especially kids, and parents
  • Photos of your kids
  • Don’t tag family members and relatives in photos
  • Vacation plans, wait until you return home
  • Financial details or even bank name

Turn off Active Status

Don’t let strangers see your Facebook profile. The more invisible the users make themselves on Facebook. There are fewer chances that a potential Facebook stalker will access to your personal information.

Turn off active status on Facebook

Use Privacy Settings

Add a Facebook friend who’s making you uncomfortable with your restricted list. This prevents them from seeing anything you post on Facebook unless it’s public. To do so, navigate to their profile. Select the Friends from the dropdown box near their cover photo (Select “Add to another list…,” then select Restricted).

Restricted friend on Facebook

Unfriend

Unfriending someone on Facebook means that they can no longer see your posts that aren’t public. To do this, go to that person’s profile (Select Friends from the dropdown box and then select Unfriend). The person you unfriend will not be notified, but they can see your profile unless you block them.

Unfriend on Facebook

Block

Blocking goes beyond unfriending. The person will not be able to see your profile and timeline. If an FB stalker doesn’t find you even after searching for your name, you will not appear in the search results. Importantly, the person you blocked will not be notified.

There are three dots next to the Message button. Click on this, and the Block option will appear in the dropdown. Confirm the blocking, and that’s it.

Block on Facebook

Cyberstalking Complaint

If someone is doing Facebook stalking at the extreme, consider reporting them to Facebook. There is a remedy to this problem — filing a complaint online.

A person who is being stalked can complain to the cyberstalking authorities. However, some people ignore their Facebook stalker because they think the police will not help.

Cyberstalking Laws by State in the US

Cyberstalking is a crime in the United States. It is ” the repeated pursuit of an individual using electronic or internet devices” (Reyns et al., 2012, p.1). These repeated pursuits involve unwanted communications using electronic or internet devices, which include intent to kill, threats, injure, harass, or create a sense of fear and stress in the victim.

Cyberstalking can happen to any individual. In this, the cyberstalker stalks the victim at any time and from anywhere in the world at any distance. The actions of crime, stalking, and harassment lead to the creation of laws that govern cyberstalking to some degree. The laws and legislation protect an individual from stalking and harassment even before the introduction of the internet in society.

However, many states have amended and added their legislation to protect an individual from cyberstalking. To produce a comprehensive list of cyberstalking laws by states in the United States, we reference different sources, as shown in the table below:

Table: Cyberstalking laws by state
State Relevant law(s) State Relevant law(s)
Alabama 13 A-11-8 Montana 5-5-220, 45-8-213
Alaska 11.41.270,11.61.120 Nebraska N/A
Arizona 13-2921 Nevada 200.575
Arkansas  5-41-108 New Hampshire 644:4,633:3a
California 422, 528.5, 646.9, 653.2, 653m, Civil code: 1708.7 New Jersey 2C:12-10, 2C:33-4
Colorado 18-9-111, 18-3-602 New Mexico 30-3A-3
Connecticut 53a-182b, 53a-183 New York 240.3
Florida 784.048, 817.568 Delaware 11-1311
Georgia 16-5-90, 16-5-91 North 14-196, 14-196.3, 14-
Hawaii 711-1106, 711-1106.4,711-1106.5 Carolina 277.3A
Idaho 18-7906 North Dakota 12.1-17-07
Illinois 720 ILCS 5/12-7.5, 720, 135/1-3, 720 ILCS135/2, ILCS 135/1-2, 720 ILCS Ohio 2903.211, 2917.21
Indiana 35-45-2-2, 35-45-10-1, 35-45-10-2, 35-45-10-5 Oklahoma 21-820-1173, 21-850-1172,21-1953
Iowa 708.7 Oregon 163.730, 163.732, 166.065
Kansas 21-3438, 21-6206 Pennsylvania 18-2709, 18-2709.1
Kentucky 525.08 Rhode Island 11-52-4.2, 11-52-4.3
Louisiana 14:40.2, 14:40.3 South 16-3-1700, 16-17-430, 16-3-
Maine 17-A 210A Carolina 1710, 16-3-1720, 16-3-1730
Maryland 3-805 South Dakota 49-31-31, 22-19A-1
Massachusetts 265-43, 265-43A Tennessee 12.1-17-07, 39-17-315, 39-17-308
Michigan 750.411h, 750.411i,750.411s Texas 33.07, 42.07
Minnesota 609.749, 609.795 Utah 76-5-106.5, 76-9-201
Mississippi 97-45-15, 97-45-17, 97-29-45 Vermont 13-1027, 13-1061, 13-1062, 13-1063, 13-1027
Missouri 565.090, 565.225 Virginia 18.2-60, 18.2-152.7:1
Washington 9.61.260, 9A.46.020
West Virginia 61-3C-14a
Wisconsin 947.0125, 947.013
Wyoming 6-2-506

 

References

  • Cyber Stalking and Cyber Harassment Legislation in the United States: A Qualitative Analysis, Steven D. Hazelwood1 & Sarah Koon-Magnin, University of South Alabama, US (PDF)
  • Cyber Misbehavior, An Introduction to Violent Crime on the Internet,  By Joey L. Blanch and Wesley L. Hsu, May 2016, Volume 60 (PDF)

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