Controversy of Real Name Policy on Facebook - Research Paper Example

Controversy of Real Name Policy on Facebook I. Introduction: the background of Real Name Policy A. What is the Real Name policy on Face book and what is it for? The Real-Name Policy on Facebook is a regulation requirement by Facebook that all the Facebook users should establish and use the Facebook social networking sites using authentic identities (Facebook.com., 2014). The Real-Name Policy on Facebook has been established as a consideration of the people using Facebook as a conventional community like the other true community that exists in the real world, who interact on the basis of their real identities. Thus, Facebook introduced the Real-Name Policy as a measure to ensure that the Facebook community interact on the basis of the names that they use in real life, which is a measure that seeks to ensure that people can easily meet their friends, family, relatives or other people of interest easily. More so, the Real-Name Policy on Facebook is a measure that has been endeavored to ensure that people know for sure whoever it is that they are connecting with, and in so doing, the whole Facebook community then remains safe, through effectively curtailing cyber-bullying (Meganmeierfoundation.org., 2014). In this respect, Real-Name Policy on Facebook requires that several identity measures should be observed. First, individuals should use the real name that they use in real life, when establishing a Facebook account, without adding numbers, unusual capitalization, symbols, punctuations or repeated characters (Facebook.com., 2014). Secondly, individuals establishing a Facebook account should refrain from adding characters from multiple languages, while at the same time refraining from adding any titles such as their profession or religion (Facebook.com., 2014). Finally, the individuals interested in joining Facebook should also ensure to avoid the usage of words, phrases or nicknames that are not part of their real names, while at the same time refraining from using any offensive or suggestive words, titles or phrases as part of their identity on the networking site (Facebook.com., 2014). This way, it will be possible for the Facebook community to remain safe, owing to the fact that people will only interact on the basis of knowing each other authentically, thus avoid the incidences of cyber-bullying that has been a characteristic of the social networking (Görzig & Frumkin, 2013). Cyber-bullying has been defined as the application of the information technology tools in order to harass or harm others deliberately (Görzig & Frumkin, 2013). Cyber-bullying entails the use of the information technology tools to publish rumors, gossip, slanderous or defamatory information about other people, which would in turn cause the rest of the society to develop hatred towards the individual (Görzig & Frumkin, 2013). It can also take the form of sending hurtful, threatening or intimidating texts to individuals with the intention of harming them, while also including stealing the account information of other people, and then using the same to harm the individual by blocking their account or stealing useful information about them and using it against them (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014).The act of identifying victims through the use of information technology and then publishing information that would severely humiliate them or on the other hand be used to take advantage of them has also been classified as a component of cyber-bullying (Görzig & Frumkin, 2013). Therefore, the major reasons behind the establishment of the Real-Name Policy on Facebook was to ensure that the application of information technology to cause harm, humiliation or harassment to others through the use of Facebook social networking site was effectively curtailed, owing to the fact that the use of real names and authentic identities would hinder malicious individuals from masking themselves against the background of pseudonyms, false names or nicknames (Facebook.com., 2014). B. How does the Real Name policy on Facebook differ from the Name policy of other social media? The Real Name policy on Face book differs from the Name policy on the other social networking sites, due to the fact that the other social networking sites allows individuals to apply usernames as part of their identities, while Facebook requires that individuals use their real identities comprising of real life names for identification on the Facebook social networking site (Facebook.com., 2014). C. Thesis: According to reports, different from other social networking sites, Facebook claim that they require users to provide their legal name in real world. In order to protect people from defrauding and injuring activities from anonymity attackers online, Facebook’s Real Name Policy is good and useful. However, in the method of implementing Real Name Policy in Facebook, advantages and hidden danger coexist. II. Facebook should have policy to protect users from anonymity attracters A. Why should Facebook have policy for user? Facebook should have a policy for Real-Name use, due to the fact that online anonymity have many undesired consequences, since it allows for individuals to mask themselves behind pseudonyms, fake names or nicknames, and then harass other people who are using the social networking site (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014). B. What negative influences will be led by online anonymity? 1. Cyber bullying This is a form of cyber-bullying that takes the form of an individual pretending to be someone else, and then using that pretentious identity to harm others, either through sending them intimidating, hurtful or defaming messages, or through stealing the account information of such individuals and using it to track them down with the intention of harming, humiliating or defaming them (Internetsafety101.org., 2014). According to the Cyber Bullying Statistics 2014, 52% of the young people using the social media sites have been bullied, while 25% of the young social network users have reported repeated bullying from different people on the internet (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014). Additionally, 51% of young social network users have been engaged in bullying others over the social networking sites, websites or through their phones, while 60% of the young people who have been cyber-bullied do not inform their parents (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014). Further, 95% of the young social networking sites users reported that they have ignored the bullying activities of the cyber-bullies and did not report these incidences to their parents, but only to their peers (Internetsafety101.org, 2014). The statistics above have been applied to show that cyber-bullying is real especially for the teenage and young adult social networking users, and thus it is important for Facebook to implement the Real-Name Policy, so as to help curb the proliferation of cyber-bullying, since it is already rampant, by requiring people to use their authentic identities. 2. Rumor According to the Cyber Bullying Statistics 2014, rumors, mean texts and hurtful comments are some of the most rampant form of internet abuses that teenagers and young adults face while using the social networking sites (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014). Additionally, 10% of the teens have had their damaging or embarrassing pictures taken without their consent or knowledge, and such pictures spread on the internet to peddle rumors about such teens and young adults (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014). The same statistics indicated that girls are somewhat at a higher risk of experiencing rumors and defaming information about them being spread online as opposed to boys. These statistics shows that the damaging effect of online anonymity is huge, and thus should be curtailed through the use of authentic identities proposed under Real-Name Policy on Facebook. 3. Racism Facebook racism is a reality, but most especially on the adult category of Facebook users, and the trend of racism in social network sites was found to accelerate during the last election period in America, where the white-to-black contestation was not only applied on the ballot papers but also found its way online (Broderick, 2013). The statistics from Facebook dating requests have shown that there is a high degree of selectivity in the responses to request from different races, with the Caucasian men and the African-American women being the least responded to, while the Asian women are highly favored by all races (Broderick, 2013). Thus, the application of the real identities as required under the Real-Name Policy on Facebook would help to address the issue of racism, since individuals would be weary to engage in such vices which borders on crime, and may have dire consequences on them, when they use their real names. 4. Online hate speech Online hate speech has become a reality in the modern age of social networking, with statistics indicating that in the previous year, over one million teenagers and children were harassed or cyber-bullied, with most of the texts that such children received bordering on hate speech, racism or sexting (Internetsafety101.org, 2014). The problem of hate speech online is difficult to curtail, owing to the fact that the use of anonymity has enabled individuals to get away with hate speech sentiments and comments, since it is hard to identify them. C. User will constrain their online behaviors in order to safeguard their real name and information The freedom to remain anonymous or to use fake names while using the social networking sites have allowed the irresponsible social networking sites users to abuse the freedom by engaging in unethical and immoral activities that they can hardly engage in while using their true identities (Meganmeierfoundation.org, 2014). Sexting and passing of sexually suggestive texts is one of the major unethical behaviors that is rampant in the social networking usage, since people can easily do it while masked under the nicknames, pseudonyms or fake names (Bullyingstatistics.org, 2014). Additionally, sending mean, threatening, humiliating and hurtful messages has also been made possible by the application of the fake names. Thus, the application of the Real-Name Policy on Facebook will be effective in curbing the proliferation of such vices. III. Advantages of Real name policy on Facebook A. People can use the efficiency of the Internet to convenience their real life The application of the Real-Name Policy on Facebook can be advantageous in enabling the usage of the social networking site as a tool for enhancing the conveniences of people’s lives, where people can meet and interact on the basis of their real names and true identities, making it possible for people to search and find their long-time friends and other people of interest (Facebook.com., 2014). Additionally, Facebook can effectively become a commercial online site like other commercial websites that allows individual to buy and sell online, since the authentic identities of the individuals can effectively be connected to their credit cards, thus enhancing their life conveniences in having the social site of their preference act as a commercial site as well (Meganmeierfoundation.org, 2014). B. Real name policy can help Facebook and government manage online world easily 1. It can avoid the dangers of online anonymity. The implementation of Real-Name Policy on Facebook can help both Facebook and government to manage people effectively, since the use of true identities would help to curb incidences of cyber bullying and online crimes such as online hate speech and racism (Broderick, 2013). 2. Online information disclosure The implementation of the Real-Name Policy on Facebook can guide and protect users and the whole networking system online, which will effectively help in curbing the use of Facebook as a tool for perpetrating international crime such as terrorism. C. Google + use the similar real name policy now. The practical application of this policy exists, due to the fact that Google + uses similar real name policy now, and it has managed to sustain its service subscription. IV. Controversy of real name policy Although real name policy can benefit online users’ performance and guide online users’ behavior, there are still different voices to reject this policy. A. What are difficulties or hidden danger of real name policy in Facebook? 1. Privacy Policy People believe that Facebook real name policy conflict their privacy policy. This is because, it requires people to use their real names and give details of their true identities, for example gender and sexual orientation, which forces individuals to reveal information that they might otherwise have not wished to reveal to the public (Meganmeierfoundation.org, 2014). 2. Online information disclosure Online information disclosure makes people vulnerable to identity theft that is becoming more and more rampant in the United States. Through the use of authentic identities of Facebook, it would be easier for hackers and cyber criminals to steal important identity information of the Facebook users, and then apply the same to harm them (Bullyingstatistics.org., 2014). 3. Online Harassment When people post their real information; name, photo, phone number, harassers can easily catch and use this real information to commit crime. This can make users mistrust the real name policy on Facebook. On the other hand, others are of the opinion that the application of this policy is a restrictive measure that violates the freedom and rights of individuals to identify themselves as they please in the social networking site, while holding that forcing individuals to use their real identities is a gateway for creating direct attacks on people (Meganmeierfoundation.org, 2014). V. Conclusion After analyzing the importance, effects, hidden dangers, and useful solution to solve these hidden dangers, it can be concluded that social networking website should generalize real name policy in the future. This is because; the Real-Name Policy on Facebook is a controversial issue, owing to the possible benefits and limitations that the policy can impact on the Facebook users. The Real-Name Policy can help in addressing the cyber-bullying and other forms of cybercrime through tracing the actual individuals involved since their authentic identity of the users can be easily verified. However, this policy can result in increased danger of theft of Facebook users’ information, which can then be used to harm them through a variety of cybercrimes. Thus, owing to the fact that Facebook users can apply various measures to guard against cybercrimes through interacting online with the people that an individual knows well, networking website should generalize real name policy in the future to safeguard the privacy of the users, as well as protect them from the adverse effects of having their account information stolen and the used against them. References Broderick, R. (2013). Facebook Data Reveals How Weirdly Racist We Are When It Comes To Online Dating. BuzzFeed. Available at: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/facebook-data-reveals-how-weirdly-racist-we-are-when-it-come Bullyingstatistics.org. (2014). Bullying Statistics: Cyber Bullying Statistics. Available at: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html Facebook.com. (2014). What names are allowed on Facebook? Available at: https://www.facebook.com/help/112146705538576 Internetsafety101.org. (2014). Cyber bullying Statistics. Available at: http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm Meganmeierfoundation.org. (2014). Bullying, Cyber bullying & Suicide Statistics: Traditional Bullying. Available at: http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/statistics.html Görzig, A. & Frumkin, A. (2013). Cyber bullying experiences on-the-go: When social media can become distressing. Cyber psychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. Read More