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EFF Joins Nameless Coalition and Demands Facebook Kills Its Real Names Policy
Mark Wilson writes: Facebook has seen heavy criticism for its real names (or 'authentic identities' as they are known to the social network) policy. Over the last year, all manner of rights groups and advocates have tried to convince Facebook to allow users to drop their real name in favor of a pseudonym if they want. Now the Electronic Frontier Foundation is part of the 74-member strong Nameless Coalition and has written to Facebook demanding a rethink on the ground of safety, privacy, and equality. This is far from being the first time Facebook has been called on to allow the use of 'fake names', and the latest letter is signed by LGBT groups, freedom advocates, privacy supporters, and feminist organizations.
The best argument for Facebook will be if there's a way to make money off fake names.
Thank you, Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden and so many others, for courageously defending humanity, my freedom and more!
If Facebook wants to require real names, fine by me, I don't have to use the service...
Perhaps, but imagine for a moment that you're an LGBT (or otherwise marginalised) teen living in a fairly hostile community. You'd want to reach out and communicate with people who could empathise, but wouldn't want to reveal your identity lest it lead to retribution. Not requiring a real name would allow them to reach out in a safer manner on that particular platform.
That isn't just restricted to LGBT people, either. Anyone with a condition or history who wanted to communicate about it without linking it to them in a way family/friends/employers might find out about could benefit from a lack of real name requirements. Bullies would benefit too, however, so it's a double edged sword.
Facebook is a private service. Stop using and treating it like a public square.
Real names are far more useful to bullies than otherwise as they allow bullies to track people over multiple platforms, find their phone numbers, place of work, even track them right to their front doors. A real names policy does little to stop trolls either, they just register a burner account and troll until they get kicked off, it's not hard to do.
I'm solidly in favour of this EFF petition and I hope everyone signs, like it or not facebook is the de facto means of mass communication on the internet for most people today. They already have way too much power and have proven themselves more than happy to abuse that power in ways that would have gotten an accountable entity shut down hard, any moves to curb their influence and reach must be supported.
Real Names are necessary to help support Facebook's customers.
Facebook has an obligation to their customers to supply them with clean data. They pay Facebook money to help them target the exact people that they are looking for.
https://www.facebook.com/busin...
You are not their customer. You are Facebook's Product. You are giving Facebook huge volumes of data, personal data, etc. about you in exchange for Facebook allowing you to communicate with friends and family easily.
I can talk on Skype for 3 hours (Hi, Mom!) and still have 40-50% charge left. Maybe you just need a new battery?
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
"There is no valid reason for demanding pseudonymity except you have something to hide and are up to no good."
So George Eliot, George Orwell, Anatole France, Anthony Burgess, C S Forester, Daniel Defoe, Ford Madox Ford, George Sand, Boz, John le Carre and Joseph Conrad - and many, many more writers - were 'up to no good'?
And you posted as 'Anonymous Coward'. Need I say more?