Facebook users are today set to protest outside the company’s Headquarters according to an article by Amanda Holpuch over at The Guardian. The article states that a coalition of drag queens, transgender people, Native Americans, domestic violence survivors and others who do not use the names on their birth certificates are protesting under the banner #MyNameIs.
The crux of the issue seems to be that #MyNameIs feel that the fake name reporting option on Facebook is being abused and they would like to see it removed. They also want to see an end to demands from Facebook for people to provide Government approved Id when there are questions about identity.
Facebook have made some changes to their policy since the initial protests from Drag Queens, users can now use what are considered authentic names, rather than the name on their birth certificate but the protesters feel the policy change doesn’t go far enough and Facebook are moving too slowly regarding making the site more friendly to those who don’t want to use their real names.
Facebook on the other hand are quoted in the article as saying :
Having people use their authentic names makes them more accountable, and also helps us root out accounts created for malicious purposes, like harassment, fraud, impersonation and hate speech
This however is a double edged sword and Facebook’s real name policies can and do lead to people being bullied.
Sister Roma who has been one of the leading voices against Facebook’s real names policy is quoted in The Guardian as saying :
Facebook is no longer a cool website started by a bunch of guys who want to chat each other and see chicks, and see who they are talking to. It has changed – and it’s time for Facebook’s policies and original ideas to change, because users’ identities are as fluid as users themselves today.
I’m largely with Sister Roma on this, I do feel Facebook should change track on this policy. There are numerous reasons why people are uncomfortable using their real name in such a public fashion as Facebook encourages.
However at the other end of the spectrum you have Twitter and their far more anonymous approach which has led to severe criticism of that platform. There’s a balancing act to be played out here. Personally I feel that Twitter and Facebook could both encourage people to provide means of identity to their platforms and yet allow people to use a pseudonym as their public face on those social media platforms.
I doubt that Facebook will change their policy any time soon but as we move to a brave new dawn of virtual reality, Facebook are going to have to face up to the fact that identity in virtual locations is fluid. People will enter virtual reality in many guises.
Meanwhile the standard advice for Second Life users who want to engage with Facebook remains, if you want to use your Second Life name on Facebook, create a page. That way you comply with Facebook’s terms of service and whereas a page isn’t fully featured, it remains the sensible option for those who want to use their avatar name.