Wednesday 8 October 2014

Facebook will soon let you post using someone else's name

Facebook is reportedly working on a mobile app that will let its users interact without using their real name, in a major break from its rules

Facebook is moving to counter the growing threat of new social network Ello by releasing an app that allows people to use its service anonymously, according to reports.
The US technology giant is believed to be working on a standalone mobile app that will let users interact on Facebook without using their real names. The aim is for people to feel free to discuss sensitive issues, when normally they would not be comfortable doing so.
The program, which is being spearheaded by product manager Josh Miller, is expected to be released within weeks, the New York Times reported.
Facebook declined to comment when contacted by The Telegraph.
The app would mark a significant change for Facebook, which since its creation in 2004 has required users to register their real names when signing up. It now boasts more than 1bn accounts.
The company defended the policy as recently as last Wednesday, when chief product officer Chris Cox said users are safer if they are more open with their personal information.
"First, it’s part of what made Facebook special in the first place, by differentiating the service from the rest of the internet where pseudonymity, anonymity or often random names were the social norm," he said.
"Second, it’s the primary mechanism we have to protect millions of people every day, all around the world, from real harm."
The new app could also be a reaction to the growing popularity of Ello, a new social network that lets new users, who have to be invited, use any name they want.
It has also set itself apart from rival social networks by promising to treat its customers as individuals and won't sell their personal data to third parties such as advertisers.
“Every post you share, every friend you make, and every link you follow is tracked, recorded, and converted into data," Ello's manifesto states about its rival. "Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold. We believe there is a better way."
The advert-free site claims it is getting 40,000 requests an hour from users wanting to sign up.

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