"Facebook relaxes 'real name' policy in face of protest", 2 Nov 2015

Facebook has announced plans to water down its controversial “real names” policy, after lobbying from civil liberties groups worldwide.  The new rules still officially require the use of “authentic names” on the site, something which has previously resulted in criticism from varied groups including the drag community, Native Americans, and trans people. While Facebook does not require the use of “legal names” on the site, it does demand that users identify with the name that other people know them by...Schultz outlined the changes in a letter responding to requests from the EFF, Human Rights Watch, ACLU and others to provide “equal treatment and protection for all who use and depend on Facebook as a central platform for online expression and communication”. But other aspects of the privacy groups’ requests were rebuffed by Facebook...