I’ve trawled the internet, search engines, blogs and more, but can’t see anything to do with what I’m about to say.  If there are other posts regarding this, do please comment and point me to them (and prove that I can’t use Google! )

Yesterday (August 25th), Facebook started suggesting a person that I might like to add:

Now, I’ve never heard of this chap.  Never emailed him, and never spoken to him.  I’m sure he’s a top bloke, though.

Today (August 26th), I check my Twitter followers.  Imagine my surprise when my newest Twitter follower happens to be:

Now, I don’t know whether Tom followed me before or after the suggested friend on Facebook.  What I do know is that this isn’t an isolated incedent.  Its happened around 3 – 4 times over the past month.  I put the first couple down to pure co-incidence (and the fact that I knew who they were).  However, with more recent Twitter followers, who’ve also been cropping up as suggested friends on Facebook, I’ve never had any contact with them, nor shared my details with them (or vice versa).

Therefore, it would have to be something linking my Facebook profile with my Twitter profile.  My Facebook profile is hidden, so it can’t be Twitter grabbing my Facebook information.  My Twitter profile is open, so it could be Facebook grabbing my Twitter followers information, and suggesting them as friends.

However, there’s nothing to link the two together.  My Facebook username (timcarr) is different than my Twitter one (n7studios).  I do use the same email address for both – but as far as I can see, there’s no public method of getting a list of my followers by using my email address.  So how are Facebook obtaining my Twitter followers, and then suggesting them as friends?

Another possibility is a Facebook application, which I would have authorised, to update Twitter.  By providing my credentials, this would potentially mean the Facebook application could obtain my followers list, search for them on Facebook, and if the same username is found (or the follower is found also to use the same Facebook application), suggest them as a friend.

For updating my Facebook status from Twitter, I use Tweeter.  It’s a Facebook application that periodically checks my Twitter status, and if its been updated, updates my Facebook status.  Therefore, it’s an application that has access to both profiles.  However, looking through Tweeter’s information and documentation, there’s nothing to suggest this would happen – and I can’t see any method for any Facebook application to tell Facebook to suggest somebody as a friend to somebody else.  That doesn’t necessarily mean its not happening – but there’s no conclusive evidence either way.

So Facebook, Twitter and API Developers – which one (or all) of you are sharing my data?