Reuters/Second Life » Registered for Facebook under your avatar name? That’s a ban.

Registered for Facebook under your avatar name? That’s a ban.

Thu Sep 25, 2008 3:11pm PDT

By Eric Reuters

Many Second Life users cherish their avatar identity so highly they sign up for other online networks, like LinkedIn or Twitter, under their avatar name. But Second Life enthusiasts who register for Facebook under their avatar name should watch out: the Syndey Morning Herald is reporting Facebook is terminating accounts it suspects don’t represent real-life names.

The SMH follows the story of Sydneysider Elmo Keep, who got banned from the site with no warning when Facebook officials suspected her name (which is real) was fake. Only by supplying copies of government-issued identity documents to Facebook was she able to get her account restored.

Valleywag has video of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg laying down the law. “You can’t be on Facebook without being yourself,” Sandberg says. “We kick you off.”

How many Facebook users are registered under their Second Life name, and could be banned at any moment under the policy? It’s impossible to tell, but even a casual search reveals that there could be more than a handful.

Got a Second Life scoop?
You can meet the reporter in Second Life!
Eric Reuters holds office hours in the Reuters Auditorium on Tuesdays at 8:00 am SLT.

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