Thanks for effort on this post, @Xaldafax!
If someone is a friend or not doesn’t matter regarding footfall. The will generate footfall like stangers.
What matters is if someone has permissions on that beacon. Or if someone owns a beacon in the same settlement. In both cases they will stop generating footfall.
So for example since I started a build next to the Shrine of the Oort (which is part of the same Village) you will sadly no longer receive footfall generated by me using the network, but previously you did.