Internet trolls rejoice! Google lifted its real name requirement for Google+ today. This decision comes after users complained about requiring YouTube users to tie their accounts to Google+.
Google’s original decision to force the use of real names was to control negative comments online. By removing a user’s anonymity, Google hoped there would be fewer nasty comments on YouTube, something the video site has been notorious for.
The company publicly apologized for forcing users to use their real names in the following statement:
“We know you’ve been calling for this change for a while. We know that our names policy has been unclear, and this has led to some unnecessarily difficult experiences for some of our users. For this we apologize, and we hope that today’s change is a step toward making Google+ the welcoming and inclusive place that we want it to be.”
It appears Google now understands that there are legitimate reasons why someone would want to conceal their identity. While anonymity definitely helps trolls, it can also help political dissidents and whistleblowers.
This move won’t save Google+, which may be shut down in the future, but it does at least show that Google is at least willing to admit its mistakes.
Source: Google+
