In response to feedback from activist groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Facebook announced Tuesday that it would change some aspects of its real names policy. As it currently stands, the policy requires users to register what Facebook calls their “authentic identity,”—or how friends and family know them—in order to use the social network. The policy also allows users to report other users registered under alias names and gives Facebook the ability to suspend any accounts where the identity of a user is found to be “fraudulent.” This abuse system has been used to silence a broad range of users, from drag queens to Vietnamese pro-democracy activists. The policy has long been opposed by marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities, abuse victims, and the LGBTQ community. In October, the Nameless Coalition, a collection of civil society organizations—including EFF—and individuals that oppose the real names policy…
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