The act of viewing Facebook profiles, pages, or content without being logged into a personal Facebook account or possessing a registered user profile is the central concept. This can involve using search engines to find publicly available information or employing third-party tools, though the latter often contravenes Facebook’s terms of service and may not be reliable.
The value of this practice lies primarily in gathering information for research, background checks, or simple curiosity without revealing one’s identity or activity to the platform or the target individual. Historically, limitations on privacy settings allowed for more extensive viewing. However, Facebook’s privacy policy changes have significantly restricted the data accessible to non-logged-in users, impacting the feasibility of this practice.