▁a ▁controvers y ▁over ▁social ▁networking ▁site ▁Face books ▁" real - name ▁system " ▁dict ating ▁how ▁people ▁register ▁their ▁accounts ▁and ▁configure ▁their ▁user ▁profiles . ▁ ▁The ▁controvers y ▁st ems ▁from ▁a ▁policy ▁that ▁those ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁advers ely ▁affected ▁describe ▁as ▁pen al izing ▁users ▁who ▁are ▁in ▁fact ▁using ▁their ▁real ▁names ▁which ▁Facebook ▁has ▁never theless ▁de emed ▁to ▁be ▁" f ake ", ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁allowing ▁anyone ▁to ▁create ▁fake ▁yet ▁pla us ible - s ounding ▁names , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁obviously ▁imp laus ible - s ounding ▁names ▁compr ising ▁word ▁combinations ▁that ▁Facebook ' s ▁software ▁fails ▁to ▁recognize ▁as ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁real ▁because ▁their ▁alleg ed ▁non standard ▁sp elling ▁or ▁confusion ▁with ▁fict ional ▁characters . ▁Facebook ▁further more ▁prohib its ▁users ▁from ▁accur ately ▁representing ▁names ▁which ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁site ▁have ▁" to o ▁many ▁words ", ▁and ▁prohib its ▁initial izing ▁first ▁names , ▁prevent ing ▁users ▁who ▁do ▁so ▁in ▁real ▁life ▁from ▁formatting ▁their ▁own ▁names ▁as ▁they ▁see ▁fit . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁social ▁networking ▁website ▁Facebook ▁has ▁maintained ▁the ▁real - name ▁system ▁policy ▁for ▁user ▁profiles . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Facebook , ▁the ▁real - name ▁policy ▁st ems ▁from ▁the ▁position ▁" that ▁way , ▁you ▁always ▁know ▁who ▁you ' re ▁connecting ▁with . ▁This ▁helps ▁keep ▁our ▁community ▁safe ." ▁Like wise ▁per ▁this ▁policy , ▁a ▁" real ▁name " ▁is ▁defined ▁by ▁" your