Mark Zuckerberg Defends Facebook’s ‘Real Name’ Policy

2 minute read

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his company’s “real name” policy against accusations of being discriminatory toward vulnerability communities on Tuesday.

The company’s policy requires users to go by their real names on the social network, which has drawn criticism from transgender people, drag queens, Native Americans, domestic violence survivors and others who say the policy prevents them from being true to their identities and, in some cases, puts them at risk of physical harm offline.

But during a Facebook Q&A with BuzzFeed, Zuckerberg said many critics don’t understand the exact details of Facebook’s requirement, MONEY reports.

“There is some confusion about what our policy actually is,” Zuckerberg wrote. “Real name does not mean your legal name. Your real name is whatever you go by and what your friends call you. If your friends all call you by a nickname and you want to use that name on Facebook, you should be able to do that.

In fact, Zuckerberg said safety is one of the main concerns behind the policy. He wrote that requiring real names makes users less likely to act abusive towards one another and that the policy could prevent users from creating fake profiles to contact and their victims. Still, he acknowledged that Facebook would be taking steps to make sure the site and its policies were inclusive of certain marginalized communities. “We are working on better and more ways for people to show us what their real name is,” he wrote, “so we can both keep this policy which protects so many people in our community while also serving the transgender community.”

[MONEY]

Facebook’s Gorgeous New Campus Has a ‘Green Roof’ the Size of 7 Football Fields

DCIM103MEDIA
An aerial view of Facebook's new campus, an expansion of its current headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. The LEED-certified building, known as MPK 20, has a 9-acre "green roof."Matt Harnack for Facebook
Facebook New Campus Green Roof
The roof contains a half-mile walking loop for employees and over 400 trees.Matt Harnack for Facebook
Facebook New Campus Green Roof
A view of the MPK 20 roof at night.Gehry Partners, LLP
Facebook New Campus Green Roof
The lobby of the campus is entered from the roof.Matt Harnack for Facebook
Facebook New Campus Green Roof
The building, known as MPK 20, will officially open this spring.Matt Harnack for Facebook
Construction begins on April 28, 2014 on Facebook's new west campus in Menlo Park CA.
Construction on the campus seen from above in April, 2014.Proehl Studios/Corbis
Facebook New Campus Green Roof
An early architectural model in the offices of world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.Courtesy of Facebook
Architect Frank Gehry and Mark Zuckerberg review the model before it's construction.Facebook

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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com