Facebook announced on October 30, Friday that it will change the terms of its highly controversial "real name" policy, which requires account owners to use their actual name rather than a pseudonym when accessing the social network. In the past, the transgender and Native American communities have protested the policy, arguing that trolls used it as a tool for harassment. The recent policy change was a response to an open letter from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
Facebook will be making two main changes to its policy. Firstly, the social media giant will allow users to explain why they want to use a certain name when confirming an account, according to Engadget.
Secondly, Facebook users who complain about other people who use fake names must include more details in their complaint. The goal is to prevent people from quickly flagging profiles. Such Facebook users are locked out of their account until they can confirm their identity.
The social network will also make a few tweaks. The name confirmation process will not require a government-issued valid ID, and the appeals process for locked-out users will be more open.
However, Facebook does not plan to end the "real name" policy. The reason is that when users must use their real name, they are required to be more responsible for their words and actions.
Finally, all identification data will be encrypted and stored on Facebook's servers. It can be decrypted within 30 days.
Over a year ago Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox apologized to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, according to VentureBeat. It did not let transgender people use pen names.
The new policies will take effect in December.