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Warning about who is watching you on Facebook Live

Posted at 11:07 PM, Feb 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-06 17:56:56-05

Facebook Live is a popular and convenient way to stream Live video for all of your friends to see, but there may be some unwanted viewers watching you. 

There's a Facebook feature that can show your Facebook Live stream to anyone in the world. 

"I suspect that a large percent of these people don't even know they are being streamed, being watched," said Alan Crowetz, Internet Security Expert,www.Infostream.cc. 

This is possible because your privacy settings may not be securing your location.

 "I can find people right here in our area," said Crowetz. 

Crowetz browsed through several feeds in West Palm Beach. There were people live streaming from their homes, one Facebook live video was of children in a fitness class. The scary part is what you can learn about where a person is and who they are. 

Do you have valuables in your home? Are there children that you wouldn't want someone to know about?" added Crowetz. 

For instance, we found a couple using Facebook Live in their Boynton Beach home, showing their children and saying their names. One quick click on their Facebook page led us to their names. Then, another search on White Pages led to their address and phone numbers. We called to tell them what we've learned about Facebook Live and they were shocked. The family did not want to go on camera, but will be changing their settings. 

You can change the settings by going to your account settings, then location, and disable nearby friends. It's a quick fix to keep your privacy. 

"People often forget to keep an eye on privacy," said Crowetz. "As we know with the internet, once it's put out there, it's out there forever."