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CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks about Facebook Graph Search at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on Jan. 15.
(The Associated Press)
Millions of Facebook users are seeing a new alert message about a new "Graph Search," which was activated Monday for all English-speaking U.S. members. Facebook Graph, first beta-tested in January, is the social network's latest update and its biggest move to topple Google as the king of the Internet.
The search engine tool helps users find virtually anyone or anything on Facebook, including "likes," check-ins, groups, and biographical information from everyone's "About Me" section. The results are frighteningly smart, prompting many to check their privacy settings for options to hide their Facebook page from Graph Search.
Facebook Graph knows what you're looking for. "People from my hometown who like Carmelo Anthony" will instantly identify friends (and strangers) from your hometown (you don't even have to type in the actual name of it, either) who share your love of the former Orange basketball star. The Bing-powered results also search the web for answers and offer search suggestions, just like Google.
Facebook Graph Search lets users search the social network by interests, photos, groups and more.
Social media stalking is remarkably easy. Searching for "People who went to Empire Brewing Company and like How I Met Your Mother" will show all the people who checked in to the Armory Square bar on Facebook and are fans of the CBS sitcom. So if you met a girl at the bar who was talking about how funny Neil Patrick Harris is, you can find out her other interests, creep her photos and send messages even if she refused to give you her phone number.
Looking to flirt? You can search for "single men near Syracuse" and it'll show you results for guys living in Central New York who list single as their relationship status, bringing back memories of why so many people left MySpace. Even scarier, you can search for potential dates who say "it's complicated."
Search results can get really specific. "Members of National Rifle Association who live in Michigan and like Bon Jovi" only returns four people on Facebook, but if you're an NRA member traveling to Detroit for a concert, you'll find your new best friends singing "Livin' on a Prayer" there with you. "Photos of my friends taken before 1999 in New York" will show old pictures of your immediate social network and tell you where they were when they had that ridiculous haircut.
When Graph Search is activated, Facebook users will see a notification on their homepage reminding them about how to "check who can see your stuff" by clicking on the privacy button at the top or going to facebook.com/settings. The Wall Street Journal recommends checking privacy settings for three main categories: Profile, photos and future posts.
- Profile settings:
- Photos:
- Future posts:
Mashable offers more detailed recommendations for locking down your Facebook page, including Timeline, tagging, apps, adverts and who can see your "likes."
According to CNET, the public company's main goal with Graph Search is to make its investors happy by bringing in big bucks from advertisers. Facebook has struggled since its IPO to boost revenue, but curated search results could mean smarter ad targeting including capitalizing on local businesses with results for restaurants like Yelp.
But in the wake of the National Security Agency's domestic spying scandal, some social media experts are unsure of how the public will respond to the new feature.
"It is every stalker's fantasy tool," Max Wolff, senior analyst at Greencrest Capital, told the Boston Herald. "It could actually alienate people. People are extra-sensitive about privacy because of the NSA scandal. So the average user could jack up their privacy settings and decide to disclose less on Facebook, which could hurt advertising."
In the meantime, Graph Search will continue to roll out to Facebook's billion-plus users. A spokesperson for the company told the Herald that the company is also working on a mobile version of the new search feature.
What do you think? Do you "like" Facebook Graph Search or are you thinking of "defriending" the site?