German Regulators Criticize Facebook's 'Real Name' Policy

[smithereen]

Why, exactly, does Facebook, a US company, have to comply with German law simply because Germans can access the internet? Nobody is requiring anyone to use Facebook. To me it seems that by this logic, all women photographed on Facebook should be required to wear a niqab, to obay Sharia law!

 

[danwat1234]

[citation][nom]bak0n[/nom]I don't use my real name on any of my 17 facebook accounts.[/citation]
Same here with my 11 youtube accounts

 

[thecolorblue]

[citation][nom]chewy1963[/nom]Yes![/citation]
ok... so long as that applies to all countries equally.

 

[thecolorblue]

[citation][nom]11796pcs[/nom]I'm not arguing for Facebook. I'm arguing against the German law, and in arguing against the German law I just so happen to be supporting Facebook's side. I don't support sites which require real names to be used and therefore I do not have a Facebook. If Germany required Google to put a picture of Angela Merkel on their German home page I would be against that too because my core argument is against intrusive laws and not about real name policies. I'm simply pushing a laissez-faire argument and nothing more.[/citation]
ok

 

[demonhorde665]

[citation][nom]thecolorblue[/nom]you seem to be missing the bit about Facebook policy being illegal in Germany.If facebook seeks to keep its policy as is it will likely have to leave Germany altogether... as justified by the laws of Germany... and it is a very good law. And since Germany has a >85 million people you can bet your @ss that Facebook will bend over backwards to comply.One question for you though is do you loathe privacy online? I see that you have not used a real name on your account there 11796pcs.[/citation]

F--- german law , german law can only control what's inside germany's borers , they can't dictate company policy to a US based company, if they don't like face book's policy , then chinese firewall em from your country

 

[Osborne-Nekkid]

We have become such a damn society with the whole "No one is wrong/Everyone is Right; Your truth may not be my truth - ... that we SUCK!

Its real simple. Facebook was founded in the United States, therefore they follow United States Laws. However, what most people dont realize is that we LOST our Sovereignty when the guy who didnt know Oral Sex was in fact an act of SEX, (despite the insy, winsy little clue that SEX is in the TITLE of it! .. .What was his name? ... Oh, ya, MR. Hillary Clinton. In any case, HE Gave AWAY our RIGHTS to be Our OWN Country, and we must now follow the guidelines of he qualified to be a Higher Regime OUTSIDE the United States of America!

Beyond that, Facebook must follow INTERNATIONAL LAWS.

I see the thing going any way at this time. The world is in such turmoil, part of me wants to say, Does this really hold a candle to the wars and the people that are dying virtually in their own homes abroad? While on the other hand, I see it as an opportunity for yet another reason for yet another outbreak of insanity and needless violence.

Facebook has the power and the potential of a great number of people who want something, Facebook, may just have the power to influence the Powers at Hand to meet the wants of their people, -or- Facebook may just find themselves having to clone their existing system and go DuetchBook, or ... Facebook may find themselves with a competitor on the block who will break their monopoly.

Personally, Im for the latter. I see too much of our information being leaked out by Facebook, if another competitor came onto the market with greater security - I could see Facebook losing an outrageous market share!

- Just a thought.
ps .. spelling and grammer dont count/matter in my posts - Have an Awesome and GREAT Day! Oh .. almost forgot! Happy Birthday JC ! - A Very Merry Christmas to y'all, - & a Happy, Healthy, & Profitable New Year to one and all!

 

[jadedmonkey28]

This would be the same policy no one reads they sign up for facebook and just click next on. Seriously the fact that the German Government waste time on this is a joke. Seeing as facebook has no way to actually make you use your real name the policy doesn't mean anything. Then again it's Germany, which is part of Europe where people are to stupid to choose a web browser on their own.

 

[bryonhowley]

[citation][nom]kinggraves[/nom]Germany's laws are the business of Germany and it's people. I personally think most of the EU is about a half step away from falling to pieces at any given moment, but Germany is actually one of the strongest pillars in it. Germany has the right to block Facebook if Facebook is going against one of the laws in their country. China and the Middle East have those same rights. Again, that's between Germany and it's citizens to make or change laws. It is not for a US company to decide what's right for Germany. Facebook has the right to conduct their business however they want, but the consequences of doing so will be to lose Germans as customers. Just as ATnT has to deal with the consequences of losing my business to another company for their bandwidth rate extortion. Governments should not submit to the policies of business entities and ignore laws to suit them. Businesses do not decide laws, this isn't the US we're talking about.[/citation]
And yet know one and I mean know one is forcing anyone to use Facebook or to use there real name. If you do not like Facebook or it's policy's DO NOT use it! It could not be simpler or easier to understand. Hopefully Facebook will fight this with all there might as Germany has no right to tell a U.S.A company how to conduct there own business. So what they are really saying is there is no room for a free and uncensored Internet in Germany instead they want to be more like China.

 

[virtualban]

When something becomes as big as Facebook or Google, they need to be regulated. Competition is not a good option for something that big.
I am against the fine that Google took for their free maps. But I am in favour of making Google obliged by law to continue provide at least this same level service that crushed competition, for free.
Same with Facebook. Too big to be competed against. If Germans want their citizens able to stay in Facebook with the anonymity protection provided as per law and German reason, then Facebook should allow all people from Germany to open anonymous accounts. And since proxies of the world could make everybody appear from Germany, Facebook does indeed need to reconsider their policies. This is just because of the huge size of the internet they got.
But it is just the little Anonymous in me speaking.

 

[Guest]

Anonymity online is not a right!

Privacy, yes, but not outright anonymity.

As much as you may not like it, there is no reason why what we say and do online should be somehow immune to reality - that you must stand behind what you say and do.

 

[gm0n3y]

Am I in the minority here wanting the internet to remain mostly anonymous? Anyone that wants to use their real name can do so, but for me, I want to maintain my privacy. This is my main problem with Facebook. And it really sucks because not having a FB account means you are really out of the loop socially. The only exception that I've made is LinkedIn, because it is a professional portal only and is pretty much a requirement in the IT industry.

 

[belardo]

Lets see... Facebook is a USA company... so they can go suck the big one. Nobody is making them USE facebook.

Because of creeps and stalkers on the internet... I don't use my real name anywhere (almost). including facebook - which is locked down for just family to share pics and info over the USA. I don't tag the photos or anything else. I don't have friends or fiancee linked to my facebook page (even thou her pics are on it).

There are other services they can chose, no?