Facebook appears to have quietly unveiled a new feature designed to let people see which Facebook users are nearby at any given time.
The company calls the feature “Find Friends Nearby,” and on Monday it was available through Facebook’s mobile apps and website despite the fact that it hasn’t been formally announced.
The blog ReadWriteWeb already has dubbed the feature a “stalking app” because it could open people up to potentially awkward or threatening interactions with strangers on the social network who know you’re nearby.
To test out the feature, go to fb.com/ffn in a browser, or follow this path in the Facebook’s mobile apps: menu > apps > find friends > other tools > Find Friends Nearby.
In a comment about the new feature, Facebook developer Ryan Patterson, who says he developed Find Friends Nearby, described how he hopes the app will be used:
“For me, the ideal use case for this product is the one where when you’re out with a group of people whom you’ve recently met and want to stay in contact with.
Facebook search might be effective, or sharing your vanity addresses or business cards, but this tool provides a really easy way to exchange contact information with multiple people with minimal friction.”
A Facebook spokeswoman declined to provide additional information. “We are constantly testing new features but have nothing more to share at this time,” she
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