Vviewpoints
DOI: 10.1145/2240236.2240247
Privacy and Security
the Politics of
“real names”

FaceBOOK’S terMS Of service xplicitly require its users to provide their “real names and information.” Indeed, the norm among many Facebook users is to provide a first and last name that appears to be genuine. Thus, when Google+ launched in the summer of 2011, it tried to emulate Facebook by requiring that new users provide similar credentials. Many early adopters responded by providing commonly used nicknames, pseudonyms, and stage names. Google, determined to ensure compliance, began expelling people who did not abide by the “real names” requirements. They ejected high-profile geeks, including Limor Fried and Blake Ross for failing to use their real names; they threatened to eject Violet Blue, a well-known sex educator and columnist.

IllustratIon by brIan greenberg/an Dr Ij borys asso CIates

The digerati responded with outrage, angry with Google for its totalitarian approach. The “nymwars,” as they were called, triggered a passionate debate among bloggers and journalists about the very essence of anonymity and pseudonymity. 2, 3, 6 Under pressure, Google relented, restoring users accounts and trying to calm the storm without apologizing. Meanwhile, Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt publicly explained the “real names” policy is important because Google Plus is intended to be an identity service. 1

While the furor over “real names” has subsided—and Google now supports pseudonymity—key questions about the role of identity, privacy, and

control remain. Why did people respond with outrage over Google while accepting Facebook? Do “real names” policies actually encourage the social dynamics that people assume they engender? Why did people talk about “real names” policies as a privacy issue? This column explores these issues, highlighting the challenges involved in designing socio-technical systems.

Facebook vs. Google: norms,
Values, and Enforcement
At Harvard, Facebook’s launch signaled
a safe, intimate alternative to the popu-
lar social network sites. People provided
their names because they saw the site as
an extension of campus life. As the site’s
popularity grew, new users adopted the
norms and practices of early adopters.
The Facebook norms were seen as op-
erating in stark contrast to MySpace,
where people commonly used pseud-
onyms to address concerns about safe-
ty. Unlike MySpace, Facebook appeared
secure and private.