Constructing and enforcing "authentic" identity online: Facebook, real names, and non-normative identities

Abstract

Despite the participatory and democratic promises of Web 2.0, many marginalized individuals with fluid or non-normative identities continue to struggle to represent themselves online. Facebook users, in particular, are told to use “authentic identities,” an idea reinforced throughout the site’s documentation, “real name” and other policies, and in public statements by company representatives. Facebook’s conception of authenticity and real names, however, has created problems for certain users, as demonstrated by the systematic deactivation of many accounts belonging to transgender and gender variant users, drag queens, Native Americans, abuse survivors, and others. In view of the struggles of marginalized users, Facebook policy appears paradoxical: the site simultaneously demands authenticity yet proscribes certain people from authentic self-presentation. In this work, we examine Facebook’s construction of “authenticity” and show how it excludes multifaceted, fluid, or non-normative identities. Using content analysis and close reading, we analyze site documentation and data from The Zuckerberg Files (an online archive of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s public remarks) to understand the platform’s mechanisms for enforcing authenticity. We find that Facebook positions itself as a type of administrative identity registrar, raising vital questions regarding the ethics and consequences of identity enforcement online today.

“That looks like me or something i can do”: Affordances and constraints in the online identity work of US LGBTQ+ millennials

“…Take real‐name policies. Adopted by SNS like Facebook, these policies suppress names that are not “real enough.” Those affected by these policies include transgender individuals who may not use their birth names (Haimson & Hoffman, ), as well as drag performers (Lingel & Golub, ). Technical features like automated flagging or reporting can amplify authenticity narratives by signaling what types of accounts should be removed—predominately those held by marginalized users (Crawford & Gillespie, ).…”

Social Media as Social Transition Machinery

“…This has been accomplished primarily through binary gender classification schemes (Male/Female) [9] and enforcement of "one person per account" policies (e.g., on Facebook). On social media sites like Facebook that forbid pseudonymity and multiple accounts [42], gender transition is often difficult [40]. Presenting oneself online using a post-transition gender, name, and appearance often requires mass trans identity disclosure [40].…”

When Users Control the Algorithms

“…One example is Facebook's real names policy which created difficulties especially for trans people, abuse survivors, and Native Americans. This was widely contested and eventually lead to platform design changes which might be considered a form of delayed and indirect control through user feedback [23]. In a study of ride allocation algorithms on Uber and Lyft, Lee [36] found similar approaches of strategic control by drivers used to cope with overly simplistic mechanisms for driver-rider matching.…”