Facebook Plots “Anonymous” Mobile App – Report

Facebook could be about to break its own terms and conditions after a report suggested that it is developing a standalone app that will allow people to anonymously upload posts.

The move, if true, marks a sharp move away from Facebook’s existing rules that require people to use their real names when signing up for an account on the site.

Anonymous Posting

The mobile app is reportedly being developed to allow people to use Facebook, but without using their real names. According to the New York Times, which cited two people briefed on Facebook’s plans, the app is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

The project is reportedly being led by Josh Miller, a product manager at Facebook who joined the company when it acquired Branch. His team has been developing the standalone mobile app for the past year.

Social networks that allow users to post or discuss potential sensitive issues have become increasingly popular of late. Websites such as Secret and Whisper for example allows members to share gossip without revealing their names or profiles. In the US, these sites first became popular with Silicon Valley staffers, who used it to anonymously share information about developments within their own tech firms.

The large online Reddit community also allows its users to sign up without their real names.

But Facebook has long insisted the users reveal their real names. Indeed, only last week, a Facebook manager defended the user of real names in a posting about identity. It came after Facebook faced criticisms from drag queens, some of whom had their profiles removed from Facebook because they were using their real names.

“It’s part of what made Facebook special in the first place,” Chris Cox, Facebook’s chief product officer, said in a recent post. “By differentiating the service from the rest of the internet where pseudonymity, anonymity, or often random names were the social norm.”
“The stories of mass impersonation, trolling, domestic abuse, and higher rates of bullying and intolerance are oftentimes the result of people hiding behind fake names, and it’s both terrifying and sad,” Cox reportedly said.

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