# Facebook: knowing the identity of "likers"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-knowing-the-identity-of-likers/644609>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 20, 2012, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-knowing-the-identity-of-likers/644609 "2012-12-20T05:37:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-knowing-the-identity-of-likers/644609/1 "2012-12-20T05:37:23Z")

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This question has to have been answered somewhere, but googling only gives me pages of results about people complaining of Facebook’s recent ‘pay for exposure’ policies.

My question is prompted by posts such as [this one](http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1473/5747827/15966180/405060632.jpg), with the caption as follows:

> [@](#):
>
> Due to the amazing exposure this has attained, I will also be offering a second place prize! First name drawn will get the set pictured, second drawing will receive a VERY similar custom knife and sheath.

In the picture it says “Share this picture to be entered to win these knives on December 25th!”

I’ve always thought the “like us to win something” posts were totally fake, but I’ve never been sure.

Can FB page owners or admins know the identity of the people who have liked their page or shared their post/picture? I know that apps can, when given permission by you, access any information you’ve posted in your “about” section, but can other users get this info simply by liking or sharing something of theirs?

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**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-knowing-the-identity-of-likers/644609/2 "2012-12-20T05:43:27Z")

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Yeah. I run a Facebook page; in the admin panel, there’s a box that shows me “New Likes” and I can click on “see all” to see all of the Likes. I also get a notification when a new person likes the page. I can also see shares.

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-knowing-the-identity-of-likers/644609/3 "2012-12-20T05:50:40Z")

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Interesting. Can you see their “about” information such as telephone number and personal email address (if they’ve entered it in their profile)? I think the answer to this must be ‘no’ unless they have befriended you, but I just want to make sure.

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**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-knowing-the-identity-of-likers/644609/4 "2012-12-20T05:58:26Z")

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I can’t see anything that hasn’t been made public. If you want to see exactly what the public sees on your page, here’s a button for that: near the top of your page, to the right of the button that says “Activity Log,” there’s a button that looks like a gear or star or something. Click on that and then “View as…”–what’s on there is the most I can see if you like my page.