Google+ now allows fake profile names

Google+, the Internet giant's social media arm, seems to have loosened up on its members, allowing them to use fake profile names.

 

In a post, Google said this is the "last step" in removing the restrictions on members as Google+ grew and its community became "established."

 

"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 said.

 

Google said that when it launched Google+ in 2011, it imposed restrictions on the names members can use for their profile - they were allowed to use only their real names.

 

While it said the move "helped create a community made up of real people," it "also excluded a number of people who wanted to be part of it without using their real names."

 

But a report on tech site Mashable said that once a username is altered, Google+ users can be barred from changing again for up to three months.

 

It also cautioned users that changing their username "also changes the way it appears on other Google products, including Gmail and YouTube."

 

Also, it said it may allow some to play the role of the troll and comment anonymously. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News