The guidelines aren’t bad, and if I ever get my profile back-with a new name-I will work through them like a checklist. In addition, Facebook’s privacy controls and other tools allow survivors to continue to use Facebook so they can stay connected with friends and family.” That organization has stated that, “We believe Facebook’s authentic name policy minimizes abusers’ ability to misuse Facebook as a platform to further harass and harm victims. In response, Facebook offers guidelines, developed in partnership with the National Network to End Domestic Violence, for people who need to keep their profiles as private as possible. When Facebook took one user’s pseudonym away, an abuser showed up to events that person had RSVP’d to before the name was changed. Or maybe you’re like me, and are simply concerned for your safety. Or a teacher maintaining a delicate personal-professional boundary with students. Maybe you’re a mental health worker who needs to stay hidden from patients. Or maybe your sister is a survivor of domestic violence and has an obsessive abuser. Take, for example, a gay man living somewhere where homosexuality is still a crime, who uses Facebook to connect with a support group. There’s no way to make this information accessible to verified friends only, and sometimes that’s all it takes to end up in a world of trouble. Your Facebook profile name, photo, and banner image are always public. The truth is, sometimes a pseudonym is the only protective measure some users can take. When one of them would find me on Facebook, I would change my last name and make sure my security settings were tight. The reason I’ve been pseudonymous is to protect my safety from stalkers. I started out as Nads Nads, and at one point, in response to an early identity challenge, I verified myself simply by adding a middle initial-I became Nads N Nads, and stayed that way for years.
The last name on my account was not Drake.
That is, until it takes the word of some anonymous user over yours. Speaking to this, Facebook says it likes to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Lastly, if authenticity is so important for maintaining a safe environment, why not require ID from everyone at sign up? Even now, it’s totally possible to create a Facebook account with a totally bogus name. If the data are supportive, why not share it? And if the behaviors are the problem, why not simply police that and not the names? It feels like the company is using a sledgehammer when what it needs is a scalpel. But behavior on the Internet is fraught and murky, with some suggesting malicious behavior actually has very little to do with anonymity.įacebook has not provided any data suggesting the authentic name policy is reducing online behaviors such as bullying and harassment. Facelessness can beget some pretty disgusting behavior (of course it’s worth noting anonymity and pseudonymity are not the same things), and it makes sense that people would behave themselves when their identities are attached to their actions. Put simply, the company is conflating authenticity with accountability.