Here's Why Facebook Creeping Is No Longer Anonymous

Facebook's latest attempt to incorporate elements of Snapchat means you can kiss your anonymity goodbye in "Stories" mode.

If you’re of the belief that anonymously creeping through profiles is the best part of Facebook, then the new Stories feature may not be for you. As the name implies, this is an attempt to co-opt certain elements of Snapchat—filters, self-deleting videos, and direct messaging—into Facebook. Much like Snapchat or Instagram Live, you can see who watched your story, as Facebook provides basic stats on how many views your story accumulates. 

Image via Facebook

Facebook’s latest attempt to be an all-in-one social media platform is great if you don’t want to switch apps, or just don’t understand Snapchat. However, the anonymity provided by creeping through profiles (particularly public ones of people who aren’t your Facebook “friends”) is gone when you enter Stories mode.

Image via CNet

As you can see from the above screen grab, courtesy of CNet, there’s a clear list of the people who view your story. So if you’re creeping on a particular story, the person who posted will definitely know. Another potential drawback of Facebook’s new enhancement is that Facebook isn’t currently tracking screenshots of stories. So if you’re having thoughts of some Yo Gotti-inspired action in your DMs, be aware that someone could be potentially taking pictures of your videos before they self-delete.

The days of Facebook being exclusive to college students have been over for nearly a decade. If you want to test drive the new modification, be aware that your boss and or grandparents probably follow you on Facebook. 

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