Your phone number may not be as private on Facebook as you think - and how to fix it

JMH · Oct 10, 2012

If you use Facebook, your phone number may not be as private as you think.

A way in which Facebook privacy can be abused has come to light that will shock many users, but that the social network itself seems to consider a deliberate feature.

If you enter someone's phone number into the search box on Facebook, the site can perform a reverse look-up and tell you who the phone number belongs to.

You can see in the screenshot how I entered the mobile phone number of someone I am not Facebook friends with, and instantly was offered their name, photograph and a link to their profile.

When I spoke to the Facebook user in question, she was shocked and surprised that I had been able to find her profile simply by entering her mobile phone number.

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Your phone number may not be as private on Facebook as you think - and how to fix it

JMH

Emeritus, Contributor