Users are required to use their real name on Facebook, provide accurate account information, keep credentials secure, and notify Meta promptly of any unauthorized account access.
This analysis describes what Meta's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The real name requirement is a contractual obligation enforced through Meta's Authentic Identity Policies, and Meta reserves the right to request identity verification at any time, which may affect pseudonymous users or those who use platform names that differ from legal names.
Interpretive note: The scope and enforcement of the real name requirement and identity verification reservation may vary by jurisdiction and has been subject to regulatory scrutiny in some EU member states.
The updated terms establish a jurisdictional change for consumers. Previously, all disputes had to be resolved in California courts; now, if you are a consumer or if your country requires it, disputes must be resolved in courts within your home country under your home country's laws. For Meta's own claims against you, the agreement still requires disputes to proceed exclusively in California courts. The revised terms also now require Meta to notify you at least 30 days in advance before making changes to these Terms, and you will have the opportunity to review them before they take effect, unless changes are required by law.
View change record →This provision requires users to maintain accurate identity information, including use of a real name on Facebook, and authorizes Meta to request identity verification at any time. Users who use names other than their legal names may be subject to account review or restriction under this obligation.
How other platforms handle this
We may display advertisements on our Services and those advertisements may be targeted to your interests based on your personal information. We may share your personal information with advertising partners for interest-based advertising purposes. You may opt out of interest-based advertising by visi...
Depending on where you are located, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal information, the right to data portability, and the right to object to or withdraw consent for certain processi...
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, correct, delete, or port your data. EU and UK users may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing. California residents may have the right to know, delete, corre...
Monitoring
Meta has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.
"You must provide us with accurate information, including providing your real name on Facebook as required by our Authentic Identity Policies. We also ask that you keep your account information up to date. It's also important that you keep your account credentials secure and that you tell us right away if anyone has unauthorized access to your account. We reserve the right to ask for your real name at any point if we have reason to believe you are not using your real name.— Excerpt from Meta's Meta Terms of Service
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The real name requirement engages GDPR data minimization and purpose limitation principles for EU/EEA users, as mandatory collection of real identity information must be justified by a lawful purpose proportionate to the processing. The requirement may also interact with anti-discrimination law in jurisdictions where individuals have a right to use culturally recognized names or where identity documentation requirements disproportionately affect certain communities. COPPA is engaged where minor users are required to provide accurate personal identity information. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The real name requirement is a known and documented feature of Facebook's terms, but its enforcement has been subject to criticism and legal challenge in some jurisdictions. The reservation of the right to request identity verification at any time creates ongoing user compliance obligations that are not time-limited. JURISDICTION FLAGS: In Germany and some other EU member states, platform real name requirements have been subject to regulatory and judicial scrutiny. The GDPR's data minimization principle may constrain the scope of identity information Meta can require and retain. California's AB 2273 (Age Appropriate Design Code) and similar laws may impose additional constraints on identity data collection from minors. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations managing corporate or brand pages on Meta platforms should ensure account administrators understand the real name requirement as it applies to their account credentials and that organizational accounts are maintained with accurate information. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether their organizations' use of Meta platforms for employee or customer-facing activities involves any identity data collection or processing that interacts with this provision, and ensure internal policies address secure credential management for Meta accounts.
Full compliance analysis
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Monitor: 25 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.
Ad personalization controls removed. Contact scanning added. Advertiser data partnerships quietly dropped. A timeline of every change.
Compliance Governance Intelligence
Need to monitor specific governance provisions?
Compliance includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.
Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.
The real name requirement is a contractual obligation enforced through Meta's Authentic Identity Policies, and Meta reserves the right to request identity verification at any time, which may affect pseudonymous users or those who use platform names that differ from legal names.
This provision requires users to maintain accurate identity information, including use of a real name on Facebook, and authorizes Meta to request identity verification at any time. Users who use names other than their legal names may be subject to account review or restriction under this obligation.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta.