Facebook + "real Names"....

[Bathsheba]

I had a notification from Facebook when I logged in this afternoon that all accounts will have to be in the user's official name, and that I will have to prove that it is with official documents if necessary.

Has anyone else seen this notification? I have one week from today to "prove" that Bathsheba Everdene is my official name.

[Bathsheba]

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1032121/pg1

Apparently it's been happening for a while :(

[Bathsheba]

I see in Related Questions below it happened to someone in April....

[hc4361]

A friend of mine had to delete her dog's account a couple of years ago. Advertisers need reassurance that the target audience is real people

[Prudie]

Do you want me to pretend to be Thomas hardy and draft you an official looking letter Baths :-) x

[bookbinder]

...at a price, of course, Prudie!

[Bathsheba]

well they're not brainwashing me.....I have AdBlock ;)

[sunny-dave]

I understand people's reluctance to use their real name on FB in some circumstances, but ...

... it's their site, it's free and they make the rules.

If you sort your privacy settings out properly then only your 'friends' can see your profile and no-one else can even find it by searching.

If your privacy is paramount and you can't be faffed to sort your settings, then you walk away.

[woofgang]

yup, its been happening for at least two years. people who have got professional names, especially odd professional names, have been targetted as well. It has caused more furore in the US where names, I guess, may be more flamboyant.

[Bathsheba]

Lol Prudie + bookbinder! Or should I say haha? Apparently Lol is not the correct way to express laughter now......

x x

[Bathsheba]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/lol-is-dead-facebook-says--haha-is-the-new-way-to-say-that-youre-laughing-10448044.html

[ukbod2015]

is it absolutely essential that you stay on facebook - its insecure as are most of the social media sites - Steve Zucheberg the owners page has been hacked 3 times to the best of my knowledge so what hope does an ordinary user have of staying safe.

[jno]

you need an identity card

http://bighugelabs.com/badge.php

[woofgang]

splendid jno, have bookmarked that one!

[hc4361]

I don't use my real name on Facebook and never will. I don't want all my old girlfriends tracking me down ;)

[wolf63]

My cats have two accounts - wonder what will happen with them.

One is a page that refers to the book that they are writing.

[hc4361]

Clever cats.

[Bathsheba]

Thanks to all for your replies. I do want to stay on Facebook, my privacy settings are very high, and I don't have any friends from my "real life"and that is the way I shall keep it.

[Maydup]

If you have no real friends on your FB account, you could change your name to Beth Everdene and you'll be free of the officious officials.

[Bathsheba]

Maydup, I have to prove to them that my name is genuine by a legal document,..passport or driving licence.

[sherrardk]

How do you show this evidence to them? I don't actually use my real first name for anything.