Facebook’s new test allows people to have up to five profiles - The Verge

Facebook is testing multiple user profiles, allowing some people to have up to four additional profiles. Users will not need to use their real names or identities.

Facebook will allow some users to have multiple profiles as part of a test, the company announced today, signaling a major shift as Meta looks for new ways to encourage users to stay on the platform amid increased competition from rivals.

As part of the test, some Facebook users will have the ability to create up to four additional profiles tied to their original account. The idea is that additional profiles can be used for different purposes, like one for friends, one for co-workers, and others for interacting with interest groups and influencers. Users will still have one account but be able to switch between profiles with a few clicks.

Profiles will be subject to Facebook’s policies, and violations on one profile will affect the account as a whole, according to spokesperson Leonard Lam.

“To help people tailor their experience based on interests and relationships, we’re testing a way for people to have more than one profile tied to a single Facebook account. Anyone who uses Facebook must continue to follow our rules,” Lam says.

Users who create extra profiles won’t need to use their real identity for their display name, Lam says, as long as the stand-in doesn’t violate the platform’s policies and doesn’t include numbers or special characters. Facebook’s rule that account holders must use the name they use in real life has been a point of contention for years, even prompting legal action in Germany.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/14/23219030/facebook-multiple-profiles-meta-active-users

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