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TechCrunch
As a screenshot shown on TechCrunch reveals, Facebook users who are offered the option to verify their accounts will be prompted to provide a valid ID.
Facebook, the social network where everyone knows your (real) name, will now allow people to start using fake names ... but only after they verify their real identities. This may sound strange, but it actually makes sense.
Prominent Facebook users will be able to use alternate names or pseudonyms rather than their birth names on the social network, TechCrunch's Josh Constine points out. For example, Lady Gaga can now use her stage name rather than her birth name — Stefani Germanotta — on her Facebook profile. (Alternatively, she could also choose to have her alternate name display in parentheses after her real name.)
On Thursday, Facebook will begin offering select Facebook users — particularly those with many subscribers — the option of going through this new verification process and adding alternate names. Those who are offered the opportunity to be verified will see a prompt which will ask them to submit an image of a government-issued photo ID (or two alternate forms of identification). According to Facebook, documents submitted by users for verification will be permanantly deleted as soon as the process is completed.
It is curious that unlike Twitter and Google +, Facebook isn't providing a visual indicator of which accounts are verified and which aren't. Twitter uses a blue check mark and Google+ adds a green badge with a yellow check mark to verified accounts. On Facebook, the only difference between a verified account and an unverified account will be the ability to use fake names and a higher ranking in Facebook's Subscribe suggestion lists.
Update: Facebook has reached out to us to emphasize that the alternate names verified users will be able to choose must be legitimate nicknames, stage names, maiden names, and so on.
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Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.
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There are millions of fake-name accounts on Facebook. When playing certain games, it is often beneficial to have one or more gaming accounts.
Agreed. Many games, especially those made by Zynga which require constant begging of your friends for help, are only possible to play with a fake account or two to help out.
"...those [games] made by Zynga which require constant begging of your friends for help..." Or after having been badgered by your friends to play and when you finally do, they stop playing the game and you can't get any help from them any more so you have to create a couple more accounts.
"According to Facebook, documents submitted by users for verification will be permanently deleted as soon as the process is completed."
LMAO Really Zuckerman? Really??? I frickin DOUBT it. You can't trust this guy. You can't trust his stolen company.
This is a little off topic but for those of you who have not seen the movie Being There, it is a fabulous movie about a character who has no identity and what happens to him in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_There
How about verifying that the people on Facebook are meeting the age requirement?
The plan is to verify the popular people----why? If they already have a boatload of followers, what does this truly accomplish?
In the end, just like everything else on MyFace, it is to make "Snoop" Marky Mark even more money than he has now. Billions won't cut it anymore---he wants to be valued as high as the national debt--- and as long as the lemmings keep believing this guy does this for them he will soon know what size shoe you wear-----hell, he may get to the point where he can tell you what you are going to do before you even think about doing it.
Technical we are the product----Facebook is just the warehouse---- yet none of us gets a cut of the money.
FB is owned by the Illuminati, or the CIA, I forgot which one. Check it out.
This is not news nor is it it new. I started my FB page with 2 separate names 4 years ago!!!! And it is JUST as they describe it! What I did was to share the FB page with my wife, we used my name and hers as the other name. Both our friends find us on 1 page if they search either of us. MSNB must have found a very old memo for a news story.
So you have to show ID on Facebook but not to vote?
.
You have to ask yourself why you would put your personal information out there in public for every creep or criminal to see.
All my FB info is fake. I wouldn't have a FB account otherwise.
Ryan in Texas: All my FB info is fake. I wouldn't have a FB account otherwise.
So you're the other smart one.
Totally agree with Ryan in Texas (post 1.9). My facebook account/info is fake. I'd never ever consider having it any other way.
Anita MandaHuginkiss ......Comment collapsed by the community (figures)
YUP...pointed that out to my wife last night. The Libs are in deep doo-doo and they know it.
To the point....So Facebook wants a copy of your official ID??!!! Let's see how many suckers are gonna upload that info for them.
Exactly....I personally know of a bunch of people on FB who don't use their real names. So, this really isn't news, is it???? :)
I had a facebook for a little while so I could play the games on there and all my info was fake. Facebook deleted my account when they found out my info was fake, that was about 3 years ago, I haven`t made another account or used facebook since then.
When i first started using the internet about 15 years ago people were constantly being warned NEVER to give out their real info on the web. I`m not putting my real info on the web just so I can play farmville, facebook can suck it!
Let's see how many are going to muck up their systems by trying to put their ID in the Disc Drive......LOL
You've posted the same stupid comment 19 times already. Give it a rest. It was idiotic the first time, and it's idiotic the following 18 times. You do realize you are required to be 12 or older to be on Newsvine, right? The simple fact I'm able to reply to your spam is proof the discussion is NOT closed, thus you haven't a clue what you are talking about.
So it's true then, people still waste their time on FB. I hope that in the next couple of years it goes the way of AOL or the Dinosaurs. fb SUX!!!!
And this is news why? I already know a bunch of people that use fake names. It's amusing to know that Facebook seems to think they have total control over those types of things.
Oh, and on a separate note, MSNBC: it is spelled "permanently," not "permanantly."
No, this is my fake name. My real name is Jack Mehoff.
Do people really give their actual real information to Facebook ?
Well, I guess that also explains George W. Bush getting enough votes to get to the SCOTUS to be appointed.
Of course, Al Gore, who started the internet, would have prevented Facebook from accumulating all your private information. :)
Trust2112: I heard that Mike Hunt was looking for you.
Old news. Google me!
I miss the days of online anonymity.
Then dont use facebook =D
An increasing number of websites (for example, many online newspapers) now require you to use Facebook to comment on their articles or online discussions.
I created an alternate Facebook account because I do not wish to have a traceable record of every comment I have ever written online about anything. Most of what I write is reasonable and pretty bland, but being cautious about your online profile is still prudent. Do you really need to know my birth name as you read this comment? I think not.
cal chi - don't kid yourself. your fake account is traceable via your ip address, which links back to your account with your isp, which links back to how you pay for the service, which links back to your bank or credit card.
Not if you use a service such as Tor which makes tracing online activity close to impossible
Satanick - What is Tor?
@Shopperben -- I mean that I don't want anyone (my prospective employer or landlord, my creepy ex-boyfriend, etc.) to be able to simply Google my name and find this comment that I'm writing right now...and all the other comments I have written on a multitude of other subjects on various news websites and discussion boards.
@ Jac
https://www.torproject.org/
So you go to Kinko's, or a library.
"According to Facebook, documents submitted by users for verification will be permanently deleted as soon as the process is completed"
Right.....
But a verified ID will make it easy to match you to all those other databases and improve facebook's dossier about you. All the better to track your every move with.
Exactly!
No Pablo, it's pronounced "Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight".
The hell will i ever tell f*c*book my real name. Over my verified dead body.
Yeah, there are no fake names already being used.
Facebook is getting a little nosy. Nothing private about that social media site!
Closed my FB account a couple of months ago and don't miss it.
it's never closed. you just don't receive notices. well, you have to put ALL the stupid settings to private or something. but it's still there. like roaches. the fb accounts never disappear.
Liz, me too! I don't miss it one bit! The radio station I listen to likened FB to going the fridge when you're bored, looking for something good, but you don't find it, yet you keep going back and checking.... I thought that was a pretty spot on analogy.
They are selling the data to private data crunching companies and a profile of you is being formed. This could impact your ability to get a job in the future, credit, purchase a home travel etc. Like ALL data of this nature it can and will be used against you perhaps EVEN in a court of law where your character could be easily assassinated. I am fine with these mostly anonymous blogs, but I do not facebook.
Welcome, my son. Welcome to the machine. What did you dream? Its alright we know what you dream!
Nice!
Good reason to Run Like Hell from Facespace.
Interesting to see the name of the person that complimented the post. Good to see Floyd fans from time to time.
So no more "Hey You" on Facebook?
All in all you're just another post on the (Facebook) wall.
*Goes back to his corner and sharpens the axe*
Can I legally change my name to Facebook? LOL
"According to Facebook, documents submitted by users for verification will be permanently deleted as soon as the process is completed."
LMAO Really Zuckerman? Really??? I frickin DOUBT it. You can't trust this guy. You can't trust his stolen company.
All accounts should be verified to cut down on harassment and bullying by children, teens and adults.
Screw that I will NEVER give them a copy of my id. NEVER.
Not a big Facebook user (I don't care that a person I kind of know is on the toilet), but have had an account for 5 years now with a fake name. Who are Facebook fooling with this pillow talk?
i'll miss facebook....NOT!
I've seen tons of users with fake names on their accounts. Makes no sense!!
Would anyone be surprised to learn that FACEBOOK is really a creation of the CIA - FBI - DHS ? naaah no one would .. feel sure about that.
Unless you can provide proof stop with the Conspiracy theory
That's the point. If people thought that FBI, CIA and so on were creating facebook they'd never sign up and have seizures on their congressman.
But they trust anyone else?
You are forking over your liberties left and right in America and to stupid to know it.
Josh...it would not surprise me one bit, it honestly wouldn't. I've heard "conspiracy theories" that are far more crazy than that...stuff that's just way out there. But what you said is entirely possible. Not sure if it's true, mind you, but entirely possible.
Dan, I think you have way to much faith in human nature.
3rdparty,
You are too just by posting here from your PC, Laptop, or Phone... They gotcha... That is if you really believe what you are saying...
3rdpartyadvocate - I disagree. Would anyone stop using it if they found out?... no.
Everyone acts like they are so concerned about privacy and the snoopy government and then they spill every private important and unimportant piece of crap about every corner of their pathetic boring little lives, on FB, at the lunch tables, and every other computer forum out there. If they were so concerned they would shut up... But they don't... they just like to b*tch after the fact, and about the government.
I already use fake names on my Facebook accounts. One of them I had to stop using because Facebook out of the blue one day started asking for a phone number. No problem, I just created yet another throwaway account with a fake name!
Just give them a phone number for Zuckerman :)
Are you kidding me? submit a government ID or 2 forms of identification online to 'cyberspace'? let me just fax you my birth certificate and Social Security card while i'm at it. gtfoh!
So they will not allow persons of color on FB anymore? They are unable to procure ID to vote...
Excellent point there Jeanette! Oh noooooooooo, this will open a whole new can of worms. Persons of color can't use Facebook because, gee they are just too poor or stupid or lazy or illegal to get a government id card, but yet they will still be able to sue Facebook for "discrimination". I'm sure the ACLU is right on top of this one. Only in America folks.
Careful Jeanette...the libs on here will call you a racist.
No. Just, no.
Facebook actually stole this idea from a small, new service called www.safevilleusa.com
This is a private company that uses skype and stores all identity OFFLINE. It is about to launch soon all over America. Go to the web site and check it out. It does this the way it should be done. I plan to use them as soon as they are operational. Initially, they will be just for students but Phase 2 is coming soon for adults. Keep an eye on this service, it is going to explode once it gets going.
Good, because we know ID's can't be faked.
Once you all get verified, you'd better only say nice things about King Obama. He has very thin skin. You don't want a knock on the door from the brown shirts.
Nutbar.
Is that you Barry? LOL
Obama? Be nice.
And how on earth did you get this subject twisted to political? Fixate much?
I have many known friends on FB with fake names. I don't mind at all. This easily gives these people the privacy they want and deserve. They don't want every person from their past trying to friend them. I have a problem with that and often have to say "no" to people I don't want to offend, but do. My FB is for close family and friends. I don't want to be one of these people with 546 FB friends. I just don't get that.