Facebook real-name policy controversy

[1] The controversy stems from claims by some users that they are being penalized by Facebook for using their real names, and have suffered adverse consequences as a result.

[11] Native American activists claimed to be planning to file a class action lawsuit against Facebook regarding the 'real name' policy.

In January 2015, a 23-year-old Australian bank employee claiming to be named Phuc Dat Bich posted a photo of his passport identification page to Facebook, protesting that the company had unfairly shut down his account for being "false and misleading".

[27] International non-profit digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation stated they were "alarmed to hear that Facebook's 'real name' policy is disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ community".

[28] Online magazine Queerty called Facebook's policy "a frankly creepy overreach of authority", adding "There are a million reasons why someone would choose to self-identify with a name other than the one that's printed on their birth certificate.

"[29] In an interview for MAGE Magazine, Second Life entrepreneur Jennifer Ceara Firehawk stated: "If we are not using our page to abuse or grief others they just need to leave us be.

We are not hurting anyone… FB does not realize some SL people earn lindens to turn into RL (real life) money and that is how they make a living.

"[31][32] On December 15, 2015, Facebook announced in a press release[33] that it would be providing a compromise to its real name policy after protests from groups such as the gay/lesbian community and abuse victims.

[34] The site is developing a protocol that will allow members to provide specifics as to their "special circumstance" or "unique situation" with a request to use pseudonyms, subject to verification of their true identities.

Product manager Todd Gage and vice president of global operations Justin Osofsky also promised a new method for reducing the number of members who must go through ID verification while ensuring the safety of others on Facebook.

[35] When a Facebook user gets a Support Inbox message stating that they must provide identification, there is now a checkbox that lets them check off several circumstances (including ethnic member, transgender, physically threatened/stalked).

However, many users have reported that this is just for show, and such special circumstances are repeatedly ignored, rendering Facebook's policy statement nothing more than public relations.

This measure was criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who pointed out that it forces the most vulnerable users to reveal intimate details of their personal lives.