Google to allow nicknames on social network
Written on January 22, 2012 – 5:53 am | by Michael Harris
(CNN) — In a big swerve in policy, Google has decided to allow people to sign up using nicknames or other pseudonyms on its growing social network, Google+.
This summer, Google took some flak for booting users who had used fake names on the 7-month-old site.
Members of the tech community, who as early adopters had flocked to the search giant’s Facebook alternative, argued that some people are better known on the internet by their assumed names. They also noted that people who used social media as part of social movements, such as those in Iran and Egypt, need to be able to conceal their identity for safety reasons.
“Today we’re pleased to be launching features that will address and remedy the majority of these issues,” Bradley Horowitz, a vice president for product development at Google, wrote Tuesday on his profile on the site. “To be clear — our work here isn’t done, but I’m really pleased to be shipping a milestone on our journey.”
Starting this week, users will be able to add a nickname alongside their real name, Horowitz said.
Tags: Network, Social Network