With the amount of data that Facebook collects on its users now out in the open, it is only natural for any of us to think that the company is well aware of who visits our pages and profiles, and when. And they do. However, just because Facebook has that data doesn’t mean it’s willing to share it with just anybody. In fact, Facebook considers this information to be strictly confidential and asks that you report any third-party apps or companies that claim to be able to provide that information.

Can You See Who Viewed Your Facebook Profile?

If you’re interested in the company’s official stance on the matter, it might prove harder to find than you’d expect. After a lot of searching, we were able to locate a lone help center page that addressed this question directly. Not surprisingly, it was rather confusing and very brief.

Using Third-Party Apps To See Who Viewed Your Profile

Like we said, Facebook’s official help center doesn’t prove to be very helpful on the matter, beyond simply stating that this functionality is “not provided.” Of course, that’s quickly followed by an ominous statement that suggests that there are, indeed, third-party apps that claim to offer this service. But are they for real? Just a simple Google search will show you that there are a number of third-party offerings: Facebook apps, Chrome extensions and Android applications, that claim to be able to tell you whenever someone views your Facebook profile. Of course, there is a trade-off. In order to use their services, these companies ask that you provide them with access to your personal profile and private information, in fact, sometimes they even ask for money. It does seem tempting, after all, it’s not every day that you are given the opportunity to trick a massive social media giant and get away with important information as to who is accessing your social media account and for what reason. The bottom line? Resist!

Is It Safe To Use These Third-Party Apps?

Using a third-party application to circumvent Facebook and find out who’s viewing your profile sounds like a tempting offer. However, know that this is not for free. In exchange for letting you use their services, these third-party applications want access to your account, with the intention of using it to use your private information, distribute what most people would consider spam, or even infect your device with malware. Of course, there is the fact that none of these third-party services can actually deliver what they promise, which is to let you see who views your profile on Facebook. This is all confidential data that Facebook holds on to very closely, and there is simply no backdoor that allows you to go around these restrictions and access this information anyway. Apps and services that claim to offer this functionality are simply here to steal your data, infect you with malware and provide you with fake information that is of no real value. If you have already installed a third-party Facebook application that claims to let you see who views your profile, know that it is, without a doubt, a scam. The application will continue to have access to your account until you revoke it manually, so be sure to check out how to block access to your account and follow the instructions to clear out any unwanted applications from your Facebook profile.