Facebook Knows That Your Relationship Will End In A Week

It’s an inside half-truth that many friends of Mark Zuckerberg have told me over the years: Facebook knows when a relationship is about to end. My response was to always ask more questions as it actually sounded like a legitimate possibility. In David Kirkpatrick’s soon to be released book, “The Facebook Effect“, Kirkpatrick confirms that relationship patterns were something that Mark Zuckerberg often toyed with.

In the book, Kirkpatrick writes:

As the service’s engineers built more and more tools that could uncover such insights, Zuckerberg sometimes amused himself by conducting experiments. For instance, he concluded that by examining friend relationships and communications patterns he could determine with about 33 percent accuracy who a user was going to be in a relationship with a week from now. To deduce this he studied who was looking which profiles, who your friends were friends with, and who was newly single, among other indicators.

Are you busy chatting with another girl instead of your girlfriend? Are you being tagged in a lot of photos with the same person? Facebook has a lot of information about who you are viewing regularly (or lusting over) as well as what your communication patterns are. While the company is not actively charting most users’ communication patterns for determining the future of your relationship, they are actively monitoring your behavior on the site to determine what should be displayed in the feed.

Could you imagine using the site and then receiving a notification that the system has automatically determined that your relationship could be on thin ice? While it may provide useful to know, it would be extremely creepy to find out. For now, I wouldn’t expect to see any “relationship strength tool” integrated into the site, but it’s definitely interesting to know that it’s potentially something Facebook could project.

Would you want to know how strong your relationship is based on your own Facebook behavior? Don’t you probably already know how strong it is without Facebook telling you?

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1437423 Comments2010-05-17+15%3A04%3A06Nick+O%27Neill »

I'm done with this site…all propaganda for a stupid book…

Comment by Bobby — May 17, 2010 @ 9:04 am
This is SUCH BS!!!!! I’m more and more baffled by Zuckerberg’s ego. I wonder if he’d freak out if he realized that 99.9% of the communication between my BF and I is in person and through our regular emails. How can he track THAT? My BF barely uses his FB, and I’m on it every day regardless of what’s up with him. In fact, I DO use it mainly to stay in contact with OTHER people who aren’t as close to me. So yes, Zuckerberg WOULD find that I chat more with others, even other guys, than my BF, and end up in a lot of random pics of others. I hate to brake it to Zuckerberg, but there are major aspects of my life that are NOT telegraphed on FB, because I never even hint to them. What an idiot.

Comment by Ally — May 18, 2010 @ 10:06 am
I think a "relationship strength tool" is completely idiotic, but half, or most, of us are idiots. I do see patterns and can tell if a relationship is about to end, though. More photos posted of nights out on the town with friends. Less talk about the person they are in a relationship with. Slight changes in profile information. It's pretty obvious when someone is on the way to splitsville. I've also noticed flirting between ex's, even if they are in a relationship with someone else. My boyfriend and I don't communicate via Facebook, either. And in the circumstances I described above, only the female in the relationship had a Facebook account. You could just tell when something was going on with them. They're behavior completely changed.

Comment by LauraBeth — May 18, 2010 @ 11:09 am
Sounds to me like someone needs to get themselves a girlfriend and stop pretending to know so much about other peoples relationships! Sad much?!?!

Comment by Bec — May 19, 2010 @ 12:48 am
33% accuracy isn't a very high rate of accuracy. Just throwing that out there.

Comment by danielle — May 19, 2010 @ 8:00 am
I'm a 35 year old male and based on these theories I'm in love with a 52 year old garbage truck driver from Jersey.

Comment by Intellectual Skeptic — May 19, 2010 @ 10:06 am
What a creep Zuckerberg is. Now will people delete their accounts? I doubt it since Zuck thinks people want to share more and most people are too oblivious to care about their privacy.

Comment by ranch111 — May 20, 2010 @ 12:49 pm
A 67% inaccuracy rate should have been the news, not the so-called "ability" of a a 33% "accuracy rate". You people ever take a science class or what? Duh.

Comment by meme — May 20, 2010 @ 1:02 pm
My following in the press of Zuckerberg's behaviour, both prior to and during his reign as CEO, leads me to the opinion that he is a complete sociopath with deep seated relationship issues and wildly voyeuristic tendencies.

I think that Zuckerberg is genuinely not after the money. FB is a sexual compulsion for him. It's his own, private peep show. I'd bet big money that he has image recognition programs seeking out nude photos posted by people to their friends/boyfriends. I'd bet he even has fantasies about stalking people in real life, and "running into them" in coffee shops, etc.

This is my opinion. Oh, also? I'd bet that his financial backers haven't figured out that aspect of him, yet.

Comment by human — May 20, 2010 @ 2:06 pm
In this comment section: A lot of people who don't understand how that funny little branch of math called "statistics" works, but are ready to work up some indignant outrage anyways.

Comment by iroll — May 20, 2010 @ 8:49 pm
A bunch of haters. This dude is laughing all the way to the bank and we're still giving him our info. That's the beauty of a well designed product.

Comment by Lance — May 20, 2010 @ 9:49 pm
Holy shit some of you guys are just plain retarded. 33% accuracy is what he said, take that with a grain of salt. Paranoid fucks.

Comment by BB — May 20, 2010 @ 10:53 pm
Sounds like 'Face-evap'to me! Drip! & dial ooo.

Comment by The Witch — May 20, 2010 @ 11:49 pm
Since learning of FB's dubious anti-privacy practices I have visited sites that represent the opposite of my beliefs. Bang. All of a sudden the FB ads changed to reflect those visits.

I text or send emails to personal friends, phone family, and keep in touch mainly with colleagues or peripheral friends on FB.

I even add "wrong" images. Yeah, go figure me out, FB. You are becoming a joke. All you can do is eliminate my file. No big loss.

Comment by Vic — May 21, 2010 @ 5:59 am
If he can predict with 30% accuracy whether your relationship will end within a week, why doesn't he predict the opposite and get a 70% accuracy?

Comment by a — May 21, 2010 @ 6:54 am
I think you all are nuts! Especially you ‘human’. How do you read this article and automatically conclude that Zuckerberg is using his creation to fuel a sex addiction? Weird.
Although Ill agree this idea is superficial and egocentric, I also think that there is a bit of truth to it.
Think about it, as an average facebook user I constantly float around to the same pages on my day-to-day browsing. When I am seeing someone, or if I think I like someone, I will definitely look at their page a lot more to get a better picture of ‘who they are’. Not only will I view the page more often, but most likely Ill leave more comments than usual as well, or even send messages. On the other hand, say Im in an argument with a female friend, Ill probably practice the same habits with them as I would with someone Im interesting in dating, as far as browsing patterns are concerned.
I think that what they are trying to do does have some sort of scientific backing to it, but I think its something thats too silly to even waste time on – they’ll never reach a high enough accuracy rate to convince people it works.

Comment by Natasha — May 21, 2010 @ 8:58 am
I love how so many are decrying this tidbit as though they 'know better' or as though 'Facebook is evil'.

People should realize that it's basic human science to track behavior and make an educated guess.

Furthermore, these folks are operating a social network, so I would like to state that if anybody were capable of a 33% success rate in guess-timating relations, it would be Zuckerberg and his merry band.

Does nobody pay attention to the web ads that they're receiving? Zuckerberg isn't the only, first, or last guy milling your information.

Either get over it, get used to it, or do something about it, be that cover your tracks, establish multiple identities, or bomb something. Whatever floats your boat.

Fact is: You, are big business.

Comment by Dooley P. — May 21, 2010 @ 1:41 pm
A clarification: This is something that happened back in 2005 when Zuckerberg was 21, and Facebook had about 10 employees and less than 2 million members. To take such anecdotes and project from them what the company might do today with personal information about its nearly 500 million members would be misleading. Believe me, Zuckerberg has no time for this, and company policy quite successfully prohibits anyone in the company from doing such things. Thanks Nick.

Comment by David Kirkpatrick — May 21, 2010 @ 1:54 pm
Statistics can prove anything. 81% of people know that.

This is ridiculous, if you are sneaking around anywhere talking to other girls/guys more than your girlfriend/boyfriend, or hanging out where you know you shouldn't be and getting your photo snapped it's your own damn fault for being a tool. It doesn't take facebook to figure out you're a cheat. If a relationship is already in shambles, it doesn't need facebook to tell you. Maybe the world should get off the internet once in a while and do something worthwhile.

Comment by Mike — May 22, 2010 @ 6:16 am
i can see the changers every day with my partner pvt messages changed passwords all hidden from me so she can chat to her new friends (men) i think fb will be the end of a 29 year relationship i hope not but that is the way it is going . i ask questions but she says im an over reactor ???? she is on the dam thing morning to night it is killing me

Comment by john doe — November 13, 2010 @ 6:25 pm
Hey Ally chick, just putting several things out there.

"Social networking company." They do this stuff.

"33% accuracy." Learn what this means.

You just provided (although generic) information as to how communication occurs between you and your boyfriend to a website related to a social network, and you essentially just gave out this information for free to a random audience.

So I hate to BREAK it to you, or otherwise put the BRAKES on your ridiculousness, but you're an idiot.

Comment by Just sayin — March 5, 2011 @ 10:34 am
How can I give you 5 Thumbs up

Comment by William — April 5, 2011 @ 12:25 pm
as for now,my relation with my current wife is somewhat on a loose end.thanks to facebook.i have seen changes in her.my internet subcription is of very hihg importance.it happens folks…

Comment by bozz — January 29, 2012 @ 7:01 pm

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I'm done with this site…all propaganda for a stupid book…

Comment by Bobby — May 17, 2010 @ 9:04 am

This is SUCH BS!!!!! I’m more and more baffled by Zuckerberg’s ego. I wonder if he’d freak out if he realized that 99.9% of the communication between my BF and I is in person and through our regular emails. How can he track THAT? My BF barely uses his FB, and I’m on it every day regardless of what’s up with him. In fact, I DO use it mainly to stay in contact with OTHER people who aren’t as close to me. So yes, Zuckerberg WOULD find that I chat more with others, even other guys, than my BF, and end up in a lot of random pics of others. I hate to brake it to Zuckerberg, but there are major aspects of my life that are NOT telegraphed on FB, because I never even hint to them. What an idiot.

Comment by Ally — May 18, 2010 @ 10:06 am

I think a "relationship strength tool" is completely idiotic, but half, or most, of us are idiots. I do see patterns and can tell if a relationship is about to end, though. More photos posted of nights out on the town with friends. Less talk about the person they are in a relationship with. Slight changes in profile information. It's pretty obvious when someone is on the way to splitsville. I've also noticed flirting between ex's, even if they are in a relationship with someone else. My boyfriend and I don't communicate via Facebook, either. And in the circumstances I described above, only the female in the relationship had a Facebook account. You could just tell when something was going on with them. They're behavior completely changed.

Comment by LauraBeth — May 18, 2010 @ 11:09 am

Sounds to me like someone needs to get themselves a girlfriend and stop pretending to know so much about other peoples relationships! Sad much?!?!

Comment by Bec — May 19, 2010 @ 12:48 am

33% accuracy isn't a very high rate of accuracy. Just throwing that out there.

Comment by danielle — May 19, 2010 @ 8:00 am

I'm a 35 year old male and based on these theories I'm in love with a 52 year old garbage truck driver from Jersey.

Comment by Intellectual Skeptic — May 19, 2010 @ 10:06 am

What a creep Zuckerberg is. Now will people delete their accounts? I doubt it since Zuck thinks people want to share more and most people are too oblivious to care about their privacy.

Comment by ranch111 — May 20, 2010 @ 12:49 pm

A 67% inaccuracy rate should have been the news, not the so-called "ability" of a a 33% "accuracy rate". You people ever take a science class or what? Duh.

Comment by meme — May 20, 2010 @ 1:02 pm

My following in the press of Zuckerberg's behaviour, both prior to and during his reign as CEO, leads me to the opinion that he is a complete sociopath with deep seated relationship issues and wildly voyeuristic tendencies.

I think that Zuckerberg is genuinely not after the money. FB is a sexual compulsion for him. It's his own, private peep show. I'd bet big money that he has image recognition programs seeking out nude photos posted by people to their friends/boyfriends. I'd bet he even has fantasies about stalking people in real life, and "running into them" in coffee shops, etc.

This is my opinion. Oh, also? I'd bet that his financial backers haven't figured out that aspect of him, yet.

Comment by human — May 20, 2010 @ 2:06 pm

In this comment section: A lot of people who don't understand how that funny little branch of math called "statistics" works, but are ready to work up some indignant outrage anyways.

Comment by iroll — May 20, 2010 @ 8:49 pm

A bunch of haters. This dude is laughing all the way to the bank and we're still giving him our info. That's the beauty of a well designed product.

Comment by Lance — May 20, 2010 @ 9:49 pm

Holy shit some of you guys are just plain retarded. 33% accuracy is what he said, take that with a grain of salt. Paranoid fucks.

Comment by BB — May 20, 2010 @ 10:53 pm

Sounds like 'Face-evap'to me! Drip! & dial ooo.

Comment by The Witch — May 20, 2010 @ 11:49 pm

Since learning of FB's dubious anti-privacy practices I have visited sites that represent the opposite of my beliefs. Bang. All of a sudden the FB ads changed to reflect those visits.

I text or send emails to personal friends, phone family, and keep in touch mainly with colleagues or peripheral friends on FB.

I even add "wrong" images. Yeah, go figure me out, FB. You are becoming a joke. All you can do is eliminate my file. No big loss.

Comment by Vic — May 21, 2010 @ 5:59 am

If he can predict with 30% accuracy whether your relationship will end within a week, why doesn't he predict the opposite and get a 70% accuracy?

Comment by a — May 21, 2010 @ 6:54 am

I think you all are nuts! Especially you ‘human’. How do you read this article and automatically conclude that Zuckerberg is using his creation to fuel a sex addiction? Weird.
Although Ill agree this idea is superficial and egocentric, I also think that there is a bit of truth to it.
Think about it, as an average facebook user I constantly float around to the same pages on my day-to-day browsing. When I am seeing someone, or if I think I like someone, I will definitely look at their page a lot more to get a better picture of ‘who they are’. Not only will I view the page more often, but most likely Ill leave more comments than usual as well, or even send messages. On the other hand, say Im in an argument with a female friend, Ill probably practice the same habits with them as I would with someone Im interesting in dating, as far as browsing patterns are concerned.
I think that what they are trying to do does have some sort of scientific backing to it, but I think its something thats too silly to even waste time on – they’ll never reach a high enough accuracy rate to convince people it works.

Comment by Natasha — May 21, 2010 @ 8:58 am

I love how so many are decrying this tidbit as though they 'know better' or as though 'Facebook is evil'.

People should realize that it's basic human science to track behavior and make an educated guess.

Furthermore, these folks are operating a social network, so I would like to state that if anybody were capable of a 33% success rate in guess-timating relations, it would be Zuckerberg and his merry band.

Does nobody pay attention to the web ads that they're receiving? Zuckerberg isn't the only, first, or last guy milling your information.

Either get over it, get used to it, or do something about it, be that cover your tracks, establish multiple identities, or bomb something. Whatever floats your boat.

Fact is: You, are big business.

Comment by Dooley P. — May 21, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

A clarification: This is something that happened back in 2005 when Zuckerberg was 21, and Facebook had about 10 employees and less than 2 million members. To take such anecdotes and project from them what the company might do today with personal information about its nearly 500 million members would be misleading. Believe me, Zuckerberg has no time for this, and company policy quite successfully prohibits anyone in the company from doing such things. Thanks Nick.

Comment by David Kirkpatrick — May 21, 2010 @ 1:54 pm

Statistics can prove anything. 81% of people know that.

This is ridiculous, if you are sneaking around anywhere talking to other girls/guys more than your girlfriend/boyfriend, or hanging out where you know you shouldn't be and getting your photo snapped it's your own damn fault for being a tool. It doesn't take facebook to figure out you're a cheat. If a relationship is already in shambles, it doesn't need facebook to tell you. Maybe the world should get off the internet once in a while and do something worthwhile.

Comment by Mike — May 22, 2010 @ 6:16 am

i can see the changers every day with my partner pvt messages changed passwords all hidden from me so she can chat to her new friends (men) i think fb will be the end of a 29 year relationship i hope not but that is the way it is going . i ask questions but she says im an over reactor ???? she is on the dam thing morning to night it is killing me

Comment by john doe — November 13, 2010 @ 6:25 pm

Hey Ally chick, just putting several things out there.

"Social networking company." They do this stuff.

"33% accuracy." Learn what this means.

You just provided (although generic) information as to how communication occurs between you and your boyfriend to a website related to a social network, and you essentially just gave out this information for free to a random audience.

So I hate to BREAK it to you, or otherwise put the BRAKES on your ridiculousness, but you're an idiot.

Comment by Just sayin — March 5, 2011 @ 10:34 am

How can I give you 5 Thumbs up

Comment by William — April 5, 2011 @ 12:25 pm

as for now,my relation with my current wife is somewhat on a loose end.thanks to facebook.i have seen changes in her.my internet subcription is of very hihg importance.it happens folks…

Comment by bozz — January 29, 2012 @ 7:01 pm

Facebook Knows That Your Relationship Will End In A Week

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