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Why is Facebook refusing to listen to trans people over their ‘real names’ policy?
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg put his head above the parapet on Tuesday to defend Facebook’s ‘real names’ policy, claiming that it did not prevent individuals from using nicknames and that it had been misinterpreted.
The trans community has reacted with disbelief, with many accusing Zuckerberg of lying.
In a public Q&A on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg suggested Facebook’s policy had been misinterpreted in some cases. Claiming that the aim was to increase security for marginalized communities and make it easier for individuals to connect with friends, he said: ‘There is some confusion about what our policy actually is.
‘Real name does not mean your legal name. Your real name is whatever you go by and what your friends call you. If your friends all call you by a nickname and you want to use that name on Facebook, you should be able to do that.
‘In this way, we should be able to support everyone using their own real names, including everyone in the transgender community. We are working on better and more ways for people to show us what their real name is so we can both keep this policy which protects so many people in our community while also serving the transgender community.’
This interpretation of Facebook’s policy was instantly rejected by many, who took to the keyboard to vent their anger.
Commenting on this news on Buzzfeed, one Facebook user wrote: ‘”Real name does not mean your legal name”. Yes, that’s why your service has been kicking trans people off and forcing them to use their dead name. Your lying is disgusting.’
Another pointed out the discrepancy between Zuckerberg’s claim that using nickname was acceptable, and the fact that Facebook demands a range of official government documentation before they will allow individuals to return.
Others, more charitably, suggested Zuckerberg was simply not aware of how this policy was playing out in practice.
According to Facebook’s own guidelines on the issue, individuals whose name has been challenged should seek first to provide ‘any government-issued ID that contains your name and date of birth’.
According to Facebook, they also allow individuals to provide other documentation, which allows for individuals who have adopted alternative names in everyday life, but have not taken any steps to regularize this position with the state, to remain on Facebook. This, however, was directly contradicted by a third commenter who wrote: ‘I’m trans and was asked to provide legal documentation. This is a straight up lie.’
These sentiments were echoed across a number of forums, where Zuckerberg’s justification of Facebook’s policy has had exactly the opposite effect to that intended: rather than pour oil on troubled waters, it seems only to have provoked further anger.
In the UK, a number of activists are now seeking the support of their MP to fight this policy, and efforts are underway to arrange a meeting between Facebook and trans communities across Europe.
Gay Star News quizzed Facebook about Zuckerberg’s comments. In light of the assertion that ‘real name’ does not have to be your ‘legal name’, we asked why they request ‘legal proofs’ to prove a name. We also asked whether Zuckerberg’s comments meant they were backing away from their earlier stated position of describing this as an ‘authentic name policy’.
Facebook have not yet responded.
The post Why is Facebook refusing to listen to trans people over their ‘real names’ policy? appeared first on Gay Star News.
Jane Fae
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