When an individual places another on the restricted list on Facebook, it alters the visibility of their profile content. The person placed on the restricted list will only be able to see information that the profile owner has set as public. This typically includes the profile picture, cover photo, name, and any posts marked as publicly visible. For instance, if a user adds a coworker to their restricted list, that coworker will not see personal updates shared with friends, but will still see any publicly available posts.
Employing the restricted list offers a method of managing privacy on Facebook without unfriending someone. This can be beneficial in maintaining a connection while limiting access to personal information. It avoids potential social awkwardness or conflict that might arise from unfriending. The feature has evolved as Facebook has refined its privacy controls to accommodate user preferences for different levels of content sharing with varying connections.