Facebook Embraces Multiple Profiles: Balancing Privacy and Personalization
Do you recall the time when Facebook made a significant fuss about using your real name? It seems like ages ago when usernames reigned supreme, and real identities were concealed for privacy reasons. However, Facebook is now revising this approach, albeit not entirely, as it introduces support for multiple profiles.
To clarify, Facebook insists that your primary profile must still represent your genuine identity: “Our longstanding policy on Account Integrity and Authentic Identity stipulates that your primary Facebook profile must bear the name you use in your everyday life—and this remains unchanged. You are free to select any name for your additional profiles, but this flexibility does not extend to your primary profile.”
Once you move past that primary profile, the possibilities expand significantly. This shift makes sense to a certain extent. After all, there are situations where you might wish to keep your personal and professional lives separate. In Facebook‘s announcement, they showcased an individual with a personal profile under the name “Benta Othman” and a secondary account named “Bente Bakes.” It’s evident which is which.
In this context, you could easily share personal updates and photos with your family while providing your customers with the latest information about your small business. In some ways, this setup is reminiscent of Pages, which, when configured correctly, can function similarly to personal profiles.
However, Facebook’s announcement does not explicitly state that you cannot use a fake name for your additional profiles. As mentioned earlier, the requirement for a genuine name applies only to the primary profile. Facebook’s recommendation for a secondary profile is one for interacting with friends and another for engaging with the “foodie scene you love.” It’s not difficult to imagine a second profile with a fictitious name for less honorable purposes.
Each profile comes with its own notification and privacy settings. When you establish a new identity, it begins with default settings rather than inheriting the choices of your primary profile. Additionally, there are some initial limitations on what you can do with these additional accounts. Features such as dating, Marketplace, Professional Mode, and payments will not be available at launch.
The rollout of multiple profiles is currently underway on a global scale, and Facebook anticipates that it will reach all users within the next few months.
Meanwhile, over on Meta’s Threads, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri recently announced that the Twitter alternative now offers easy switching between accounts on mobile devices.
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