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Smokey Bear
veritas odium parit
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join:2008-03-15
Annie's Pub

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Smokey Bear

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German state orders Facebook to allow pseudonyms

CNet | December 18, 2012
quote:
Facebook is on the hot seat in Germany for requiring users to use their real names instead of pseudonyms.

The data protection agency Unabhaengiges Landeszentrum fuer Datenschutz (ULD) in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein has ordered Facebook to put a halt to its real name policy, citing a German law that allows people to use pseudonyms online. The agency pointed to that law as one that guarantees the "fundamental right to freedom of expression on the Internet."

The ULD's order so far only applies in Schleswig-Holstein, although other German states may follow its lead.

Facebook's policy of insisting that members use real names is designed to protect against the abuse of user accounts. Facebook's name policy specifically states that using real first and last names helps people know who they're connecting with and keeps the online community safe.

The ULD doesn't buy that argument, saying that "the real name obligation does neither prevent abuse of the service for insults or provocations nor does it help prevent identity theft." And beyond that, the policy is against the law, the ULD insists.

"It is unacceptable that a U.S. portal like Facebook violates German data protection law unopposed and with no prospect of an end," Thilo Weichert, the country's privacy commissioner and the head of ULD, said in a statement. "The aim of the orders of ULD is to finally bring about a legal clarification of who is responsible for Facebook and to what this company is bound to."
Article: »news.cnet.com/8301-1023_ ··· udonyms/

Press Announcement 'Unabhängiges Landeszentrum für Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein': »www.datenschutzzentrum.d ··· ames.htm

Facebook Name Policy: »www.facebook.com/help/29 ··· 4180078/
OZO
Premium Member
join:2003-01-17

1 recommendation

OZO

Premium Member

Do we have similar law, protecting people in the US?

I'm not a lawyer. So, it'd be interesting to hear from a more competent person.

BTW, related discussion - Instagram wants right to sell users' photos to advertisers.

Smokey Bear
veritas odium parit
Premium Member
join:2008-03-15
Annie's Pub

Smokey Bear

Premium Member

Question is, what law will be applicable, Irish, German or European. I'm really curious how the story will end, anyway, I hope Facebook will bite the dust.
OZO
Premium Member
join:2003-01-17

OZO

Premium Member

I hope so, and not only in the Germany, but here, in the US too...
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp to Smokey Bear

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to Smokey Bear
Unless there is also a law that forces FaceBook to provide free service to Germany, I do not see how Germany has any business dictating their policies. FaceBook would do well to tell them "take it as it is, or leave it". Too many world governments are getting comfortable with the police state mentality that the USA is busy perfecting so well.

Steve
I know your IP address

join:2001-03-10
Tustin, CA

Steve

said by SipSizzurp:

Unless there is also a law that forces FaceBook to provide free service to Germany, I do not see how Germany has any business dictating their policies. FaceBook would do well to tell them "take it as it is, or leave it". Too many world governments are getting comfortable with the police state mentality that the USA is busy perfecting so well.

Indeed. What about Facebook engenders in so many the notion that they are entitled to anything beyond voting with their mice?

wxboss
This is like Deja vu all over again.
Premium Member
join:2005-01-30
Fort Lauderdale, FL

wxboss to Smokey Bear

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to Smokey Bear
I respect a state's right to sovereignty as much as I respect the right to individual sovereignty. Let the Internet be the vehicle it is, and let individual nations dictate their policies governing it so far as it impacts their own citizens.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to Smokey Bear

Premium Member

to Smokey Bear
I suspect FB has operations in Germany which requires them as a company to abide by the laws there.

Much as Newegg has to charge me NJ sales tax because they have a warehouse in Meadowland.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to Steve

Premium Member

to Steve
said by Steve:

said by SipSizzurp:

Unless there is also a law that forces FaceBook to provide free service to Germany, I do not see how Germany has any business dictating their policies. FaceBook would do well to tell them "take it as it is, or leave it". Too many world governments are getting comfortable with the police state mentality that the USA is busy perfecting so well.

Indeed. What about Facebook engenders in so many the notion that they are entitled to anything beyond voting with their mice?

Some government agencies, many businesses, etc require customers to use Facebook to interact with them and the trend is growing. People feel pressured to use Facebook for these purposes.

So, it is not so simple voting with your mouse. The sad thing is that Germany and the USA have done an almost complete role reversal since World War II. More power to the Germans. I hope they really stick it to Facebook and I hope the USA grows some balls and some integrity when it comes to privacy, freedom and liberty.

Germany has not forgotten the original purpose of the internet but the USA has turned that on its head and has made a mockery out what the internet was envisioned to be. And "we the people" have been reduced to ...well....I don't want to break forum rules although I am not sure that matters anymore either.

Steve
I know your IP address

join:2001-03-10
Tustin, CA

Steve

What government agency requires anybody to use Facebook to deal with them?

Name Game
Premium Member
join:2002-07-07
Grand Rapids, MI

Name Game

Premium Member

None really..but they are there...

Federal Agencies
Welcome to the Federal Agencies page. By default, agencies and departments are listed alphabetically. Each office's use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, RSS feeds and Flickr are tracked. Click on the arrows in the header column to sort.
Permission to edit this page is open to the public. Click here to follow the agencies list on twitter.

»govsm.com/w/Federal_Agencies

Steve
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join:2001-03-10
Tustin, CA

Steve

There are plenty of government agencies who have a presence in social media (why not?), but none of them require Facebook for interaction.
Mele20
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join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

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Mele20

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Some DO require it. I am not going to list them though. That would be quite foolish of me.

Plus, there are plenty of businesses these days that have no way to contact/give feedback/etc them except via Facebook.

Steve
I know your IP address

join:2001-03-10
Tustin, CA

1 recommendation

Steve

said by Mele20:

Some DO require it. I am not going to list them though. That would be quite foolish of me.

I made a claim that no government agencies require you to interact with them on Facebook, and you can disprove my claim with one counterexample, yet you prefer for us to just take your word for it?

That sounds quite foolish of you.

Red_Menace
poking around since 1978
join:2001-11-03
Fruita, CO

Red_Menace to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
You are going to have to do better than that. Any public agency needs to be accessible by the public, who may not necessarily have access to computers or the internet (and that number is not insignificant).
Graycode
join:2006-04-17

Graycode to Smokey Bear

Member

to Smokey Bear
Sorry FB, but I've never used my real full name on your site and never will.

When some region or political domain considers a site to be illegal, then I think the responsibility falls to themselves to prohibit access to it by those within their jurisdiction. China comes to mind, and others have also implemented their laws as filters for their people. Schleswig-Holstein should do the same to block FB and all other sites that they deem to be illegal.

If every state & region in the world got their way then the internet would be blank, and its emptiness would be available in the hundreds of background colors that were globally agreed upon as being acceptable.