Facebook to test tweaks to real name policy again after more criticism

Facebook announced that it plants to test alterations to its controversial real name policy to allow users more room to explain their name choices. The company will also require more explanation from users who report others for violating the real name rule to prevent it from being used as a silencing or harassment tactic on the social network.

Alex Schultz, Facebook's vice president of growth, explained the changes after the company received an organized complaint from members of the LGBT community, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and other activist and advocacy groups who say the real name policy is still overly simplified and technically flawed. "We want to reduce the number of people who are asked to verify their name on Facebook, when they are already using the name people know them by," Schultz wrote. "We want to make it easier for people to confirm their name if necessary."