Facebook users plan protest against site’s ‘real name’ policy
The Guardian
Drag queens plan to lead a demonstration outside Facebook’s Silicon Valley headquarters on Monday in response to the company’s “real name” policy.
Facebook has repeatedly stated its opposition to anonymous users and has suspended accounts when people do not use their officially recognised names. The policy has incited drag queens, transgender people, Native Americans, domestic violence survivors and others who do not use the names on their birth certificates to come together against the policy as part of the #MyNameIs coalition.
Currently, any user can report that another user is using a false identity. Some members of the #MyNameIs coalition believe they are targeted by malicious users who oppose their identity and behavior. “Facebook sides with those bullies,” said Sister Roma, one of the leaders of the effort to change the policy.
She and other opponents have met with Facebook multiple times to discuss the policy, including discussions with the company’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, and head of global policy management, Monika Bickert.
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