British journalist Laurie Penny was banned on Facebook for not abiding by the “real name” policy, but her account has since been reinstated.
Penny, a contributing editor at the New Statesman and writer for the Guardian, used a pseudonym on Facebook to avoid harassment. Penny was notified that her account was banned for violating the company’s real-name policy, which states that “we require everyone to provide the name they use in real life; that way, you always know who you’re connecting with.” The policy was intended to protect users from harassers under a fake name, but Penny retaliated on Twitter saying that this policy actually subjects her to harm.
Thanks to forcing me to use my real name, I am now at more risk of rape and death threats. But enjoy flogging that data, guys.
Penny was prepared to use her real name, as she claims the “company makes itself mandatory” and that “boycotts are ineffective,” against such a large-scale company. About 24 hours later, however, in what Penny describes as “curious,” her Facebook account was reinstated under the name “Laurie Penny,” which she says is not actually her legal name (but one she is known by), nor the alias she was using previously, suggesting that Facebook’s policy is not as strict as it seems.
Described as the “nym wars” (for pseudonym), the policy has been controversial. Drag queens and Native Americans have had their accounts banned for not using legal names. Facebook has since apologized and reinstated their accounts as well. Facebook does not have an algorithm that detects false names, but rather relies on user reporting.
In a statement to The Daily Beast, a Facebook spokesperson said: “Over the last several months, we’ve made some significant improvements in the implementation of this standard, including enhancing the overall experience, expanding the options available for verifying an authentic name, and allowing people continued access to their profiles while they work to verify their name.”
Photo: Facebook login page on a computer screen (AP Photo/Stace Maude)