Facebook is making changes to its 'real names' policy

Facebook's upcoming changes may make it easier for some users to keep their accounts.
(Image credit: iStock/Getty Images)

Facebook plans to start rolling out changes to its "real names" policy in December, the social network announced Friday in response to criticism, BuzzFeed News reports.

The company requires people to make profiles on the site using their "real" names. Anyone can report another user who is seemingly violating this policy, and then activists who are trying to protect themselves online and transgender people who don't go by their legal names often have trouble regaining access to their accounts.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.