Hello. I am wondering if anyone knows if it is at all possible to create a transgender alias on Facebook. I've created numerous IDs on Facebook but deleted them as I would purge. I am desperate for being able to make friends through Facebook but do not want to use my normal ID. So frustrating! I've tried about five times, even with other IP addresses but they always disable my account within minutes! They seem to really, really, really discriminate against Trrans people!

Before I went full-time, I had two Facebook accounts, one for my male self and one for me as Kathy. 

It is really important to keep them totally separate.  You can't use the same browser on the same computer to access them.  You could access one from Firefox and one from Chrome, or you could access them from different computers.

Don't ever access the wrong account from the wrong browser.  Don't ever have the same friends in common.  Don't even visit the one identity from the other.

As long as you maintain total separation, they are not likely to catch on. 

I did exactly what Kathy did.  I actually still maintain both so I don't "overload" my cis friends.

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I'm currently doing as Kathy mentions.  I have two accounts, my long-standing male account and a newer one under my chosen name.  Kathy's warning about maintaining separation is VERY important.  If you let anything cross over from one profile to the other, you'll have your female profile showing up as "People you might now" for friends on your male account and vice versa. 

Personally, whenever I use my Alyssa account, I do it from an incognito window in Chrome.  Yes I have to log in each time but it makes sure the cookies and session info don't cross between the two accounts.  I also have not registered a phone number with my Alyssa account and I don't access it from my phone. 

It seems people are saying to use different browsers, have different friends, use different computers... but my first thought at all of this is, 'is it so implausible that you have a sister who knows some of the same people you do and you both use the same family computer to access your Facebook accounts and you both have the same surname'?

Why not just tell FB that you're your sister? :/

Quote from: Ofelia on June 03, 2017, 10:45:49 AM
It seems people are saying to use different browsers, have different friends, use different computers... but my first thought at all of this is, 'is it so implausible that you have a sister who knows some of the same people you do and you both use the same family computer to access your Facebook accounts and you both have the same surname'?

Why not just tell FB that you're your sister? :/

I can only speak for me but in my case I don't want anyone that I'm not out to happening across my Alyssa profile. Yes I look very different in my pictures as Alyssa but I still think people would be able to figure it out that it's me.  I just don't want to take the chance on being outed to people before I'm ready.  I'm working through the process of coming out to my friends, but I'd rather keep it at my pace.

I probably should just delete my male Facebook account, too many of my "friends" post transphobic stuff lately. No wonder I felt the need to be closeted back when I hung out with those people.

I've seen cis-gender friends' accounts get deleted for using an obvious nickname, and not their legal name. They came back later with their legal name. I also have friends who use a different name than their legal name stay on for a long time, but they use a name that could be a legal name. Is the name you are trying to use one that looks like a common name?

Quote from: Ofelia on June 03, 2017, 10:45:49 AM
Why not just tell FB that you're your sister? :/

Well, in my case, most of the people who knew me as my old self knew that I didn't have a sister.  It wouldn't have taken a rocket surgeon to realize that she and he were the same person.

Facebook is a bit dangerous, as all their software functions as an automatic outing algorithm.  They are constantly tweaking it as well, and it now looks at pictures to automate facial recognition and spot products used.  Given that Zuckerberg believes we shouldn't have secrets, I would honestly EXPECT to be outed if I maintained two accounts, one per gender presentation.

No matter the precautions we take, we are one software revision from being outed if we have multiple Facebook accounts.

I was appalled to see Facebook offer me my clients and their families as "people I might know", today. As far as I know my phone list is the only database I have them in and I don't put proper names for them in that, only initials. It has to be the phone numbers.

That seems like a lot of work. Whenever I come out I plan to do it very publicly, using the same Facebook account. Creating another one and adding all my contacts again seems like such a hassle.

Anyways my question is, if I change my name to my chosen name, which is a female version of my male name so pretty similar, will I have any issues? I don't want them deleting my account for adding one letter to my name.


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No you can change your name without issue.  Just be aware, you're only allowed to do it once every 60 days.

Facebook is so intrusive in everyone of their user's lives it just isn't funny. Zuckenberg, is working more everyday to be even more invasive. Gathering and selling data is what Facebook is all about. It is not about providing it's user's a social media platform at all. That is just the lure used to build and grow the data base. There is no privacy on Facebook. You should have no expectation of privacy on Facebook, They use every spec of data they can farm from your use of it and by the permissions you give them by making an account. They farm data from other sources you use with your blessing.  Those that think otherwise are fools.

Laurie

As a moderator I have to check links out to ensure they comply with site standards. I don't have a face book account but yet they planted a tracking cookie in my computer just because I bumped into the site. They are very invasive and expect no privacy on the site.

I only have one account. I tried to have two but it was just a mess. I forgot what account I was on. Now I only have one. If people don't like me it's their problem. I delete facebook friends every now and then. And add new ones.

My wife has made, and maintains, 5 accounts.  On the same browser even, and has had them for years.

One under her mothers name, one under her middle name, one under her name, one under my birth name, and one under my birth middle name.  I access the one using my middle name on my computer, she accesses all of the accounts on her computer.  She's never had an issue with them trying to close an account, She did link them all as family or some such thing.

The reason for avoiding using the same browser and/or computer isn't about preventing Facebook from finding out both accounts are yours and closing one or both of them.  The point of separating your usage of the two profiles in this way is to avoid "cross-contamination" if you're trying to hide your authentic identity account from people you're not out to yet.   Once you have common friends, common phone numbers, or even share common links between the two accounts, Facebook starts to identify that the two are related.  Suddenly your authentic self account starts showing up in the "People you may know" list of friends on your other account.  As covered ad nausium here, they have pretty advanced analytics that mine data all the time to identify these relationships ostensibly for purposes of providing a better user experience.  But those analytics can be your enemy if you're trying to hide your authentic profile.

Quote from: AlyssaJ on June 04, 2017, 11:16:52 AM
No you can change your name without issue.  Just be aware, you're only allowed to do it once every 60 days.

Thank you. That's a relief.

I asked because I remember there was a big issue last year or 2 years ago when Facebook was shutting accounts of everyone from drag performers to transgender people for not using their "real" name. I know there was a huge uproar and they sort of apologized, I guess that's not a problem anymore.


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I have 2 accounts and never had problems with facebook use the same browser and computer and such.
Only time that i had trouble was when i changed the middle name on my "trans" account and they didnt allow it becaus they wanted my real name.

I dont know what name you put in as first and last but maybe try and use a more comen name maybe that will work.
I do think that its strange that some cant do this but i have never had a problem with it.

I hate Facebook and I don't use it. Everyone I know has Facebook and tells me I need it. I don't like how they keep all that info on their users like people have said. I know they sell that info to companies but I wonder what else they do with it?  Another reason I don't want it is cause I don't need to make a list of strangers I never met from all over the place and call it a friend list. My brother's gf has like over 1000 friends on face book. Really? Seems dumb to me but hey, whatever floats your boat.
Lucas