Why Am I Being Added To Facebook Groups Without My Permission? How Can I Stop It?

Author:
AnswerQuestions
Updated:
Jul 26, 2023

A recent incident has seen Facebook users being to Facebook groups without their consent. Some of these groups are said to be offensive and potentially defamatory.

Facebook groups are popular. You can gather with friends, and those you don't know, and discuss common interests, buy and sell items and have private meetings and workshops.

Within groups, you can share news updates, your photos and so much more.

But being added without your knowledge?

This is being touted as a huge invasion of privacy allowing people to be added to groups without approval first.

Why Can't I Stop People Adding Me To Groups?

Under current Facebook settings, Facebook users may be invited to join a group, and will then show up as member of that group; until they choose to leave.

The problem then is that if you do not have your notifications set up to inform you when you are added, you may be a member of many groups without your knowledge.

Similar to being tagged in a photo, you can only be added to a group by one of your friends.

When a friend adds you to a group, a story in the group—and in news feed for Open or Closed groups—will indicate that your friend has added you to that group.

So can I stop people adding me to groups? The simple answer is NO.

Whilst Facebook groups are very popular, the downside is that you cannot avoid being added to groups against your will.

Facebook should really create a setting to stop you from being added to groups in the first place!

What Are The Privacy Options For Facebook Groups

There are three privacy options for Facebook groups: Open, Closed and Secret.

Open

Anyone can join or be added by a member.
Anyone can see the group name and who is in it.

Closed

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Anyone can ask to join or be added
Anyone can see the group name and who is in it.

Secret

Anyone can join but they have to be added
Only members can see the group name and who is in it.

How Can I Leave A Facebook Group?

If you are notified or find out that you have been added to a Facebook group without your permission and want to leave immediately, follow these steps:

Go to the group.
In the top right hand corner, under the cover image, click into the circle/cog image.
Select Leave Group from the drop-down menu.

When you leave a group, you can be comfortable that members will not be notified that you have left and you will no longer receive any notifications or see group stories in your news feed.

Facebook Notifications

People invited to join a group are notified, as long as their notification settings are managed to do that. Once you are in, you can choose to either participate leave that group.

Given this, almost back to front concept, the best thing we can do is to ensure that we are notified when this occurs.

Navigate to your notification are in your account settings and turn on all notifications. You can choose to have your notifications sent to you via a nominated email address and/or on Facebook itself.

Facebook Privacy Settings. Essential Guide.

Think it may be time to look at all of your Facebook privacy settings. This guide will give you the detailed insights into exactly how you can set up your Facebook profile to be as secure as you want it to be.

Facebook Notification Settings

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This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.