Facebook’s Privacy Settings
If you have problems with strangers viewing your Facebook profile and then contacting you, make changes to your privacy settings so that only your friends see your profile. After you make these changes, strangers can’t see you on Facebook or send you messages. Facebook’s privacy settings can be found in one place. To access it, follow these steps:
Who Can See Your Future Posts?
This setting allows you to determine who can see your posts. It’s not retroactive, so it only applies to posts from this point forward.
Limit the Audience for Posts You Shared
Now that you’ve limited who can see your future posts, do the same with your past posts.
Review All Your Posts and Things You’re Tagged In
Tags and likes provide links for strangers to access your profile. For example, if your Aunt Martha took a photo of everyone at your birthday party, then posted it and tagged you, strangers have a link to your profile. Depending on how Aunt Martha has her privacy set up, it could be her friends or anyone online. These people can select your name to go to your profile. This setting helps you remove these tags and links.
Who Can Send You Friend Requests?
This category has only one setting, but it’s an important one. If you allow everyone to send you friend requests, you might end up with a stranger as a friend. Instead, use these steps.
Who Can Look You Up?
Three settings help you determine who can find you on Facebook.
Block Specific Individuals
Changing these privacy settings should prevent strangers from seeing your Facebook profile. If a stranger contacts you, and you don’t want to interact with them, block them and their messages. When you block someone, they can’t see your posts, tag you, start a conversation, add you as a friend, or invite you to events. They also can’t send you messages or video calls.
Community Standards Violations
If the stranger contacting you is engaging in behavior that violates Facebook’s community standards, you can report them. The behaviors include:
Bullying and harassment.Direct threats.Sexual violence and exploitation.Threatening to share intimate images or videos.
How to Report Someone on Facebook
Here’s how to do it.
