Fake profiles – Facebook not even trying

VertexRed · on Jan 21, 2017

There isn't enough info to automatically close accounts just because they use the same name and profile photo as other users (keep in mind that profile pictures can be of anything such as a flag found through Google Images).

They probably only investigate and close imposters if they receive complaints from other users.

jordansmithnz · on Jan 21, 2017

I understand what you're getting at, but as someone else commented the new profile could be the real user, and the pre-existing profile a fake.

Perhaps machine learning would be able to identify fake accounts with a higher degree of certainty than the 'matching name/picture' check, and only fakes with a high certainty rate are deleted.

From a different angle though, if no one has reported a fake account - does Facebook care about the existence of a fake account? Some friends a while ago created a fake account of a meme amongst our group. Funny, and not harming anyone. If Facebook blocked this account it would seem a little domineering/controlling. I'm not sure that's the impression Facebook wants to leave on people who make these sorts of accounts for a laugh.

brak1 · on Jan 21, 2017

They prob prefer to have fake accounts than to block a real user that wants to sign up (or lost his email account and signs up again, etc etc)

atomical · on Jan 21, 2017

When Facebook was young I had my account suspended because I used a fake name. I reached out to support and had a conversation with a real person about my supposed name, "Joe Blow." I guess at some point they stopped doing that.

sova · on Jan 21, 2017

right? "all attempts welcome" philosophy

Broken_Hippo · on Jan 23, 2017

There are a couple of things that make this more difficult: The fact that strangers and family members alike can look strikingly similar and the fact that a lot of folks have the same or similar names. Heck, it could even be that a son has the same name as the father: Father has a younger profile picture, and the son uses that picture after the father dies.

Until the systems can sort this stuff out, these things are simply going to be an issue.

It isn't even that the profiles are necessarily fraudulent. I know there are plenty of young (and older) occultists that keep two seperate accounts, in part to be able to keep that part of their life private and away from extended family and work. This happens in other circles as well.

ergot · on Jan 22, 2017

Facebook is testing a feature that alerts you if someone is impersonating your account: http://mashable.com/2016/03/22/facebook-impersonation-alert/

leksak · on Jan 21, 2017

What's your question?

slim · on Jan 21, 2017

Sometimes the most recently created profile is the real profile. For example I could use your picture in Twitter to create an account in facebook. You will probably use the same picture in the future whe you setup a facebook account.

crazypyro · on Jan 22, 2017

Counter-anecdote: I've reported quite a number of accounts that have tried to add me and Facebook will now tell you when they remove a fake account. It gives some small incentive to report the profiles.