There were campaigns a-plenty to get Facebook to consider changing their policy that made it essential to use your real name, but the company publicly stated over and over that they were standing firm.
Mark Zuckerberg even pissed people off after suggesting that people who have an alias showed “a lack of integrity”.
But, finally, Zucks has listened to public opinion, and made changes to the site’s name policy.
Have you already found yourself thinking, ‘wtf, why does this even matter, use your real name and get over it’? Well, if you want to fully comprehend this article (and pretty please remain calm when we say this), you are going to have to engage with that sweet, sweet empathic part of your brain and think about other people’s situations. Okay? Stay with us champion.
Everyone’s life experiences are different, and here are some examples of groups who might need to use a name other than the one they were assigned at birth:
- Survivors of assault, rape, or domestic abuse (rates of homicide sharply rise after a survivor leaves a perpetrator)
- Transgender or gender-fluid people whose birth name doesn’t align with their gender identity
- People who are involved in a sensitive court case or police matter
- Drag queens
- Sex workers
- Native persons whose legal names don’t fit Facebook’s ‘normal, real name’ standards
See what we mean? When you think about how many unique people are included in these groups worldwide, that’s a lot of people that are affected!
So, Facebook decided to make some changes. While they’ve stuck to their OG policy strongly, they have also given people the opportunity to explain their own extenuating circumstances, in order to use a name other than the one assigned at birth.
They’ve also changed the reporting options, so people can be more specific when reporting someone using an incorrect name (RN, the only option is ‘This person is using a fake name.’) so Facebook can make a more informed decision for each individual person.
The campaigns that begged Facebook for a policy change definitely haven’t had all requests installed, or all of their concerns resolved, but at least we are beginning to head in a more empathic and understanding direction. Ain’t perfect, but it’s a start.
Remember:
The identity and/or gender someone is born with isn’t always the one they identify with later in life.
The identity someone has isn’t always safe for them to use in everyday situations.
The identity someone has can’t always be used without consequences due to institutionalised societal stigmas.
Everyone learned somethin’? Dope; good hustle, aaaaaand break.
Source/Photo: Facebook.
