Google+ profile flagged

[asterroc]

Google Plus has flagged my profile for violating their TOS. I only found out by visiting G+. I have until August 23rd to change my name or else they will suspend my profile. My profile page says there's a problem with my name, and I can submit an appeal or submit additional information. Submit additional information is linked to the page everyone's seen where you can submit evidence that it really is your name - links and images are allowed, discussion is not. Submit an appeal is linked to a page that I cannot access because when I click it I am given an "Error saving profile". I submitted feedback on that highlighting the linked text and that error message. In my feedback I included the following.

The Google+ User Content and Conduct Policy says in item 4 not to distribute other people's personal and confidential information. Because my legal name is unique (to the best of my knowledge I am the sole individual in the world with my legal name), it is in and of itself confidential information which should not be distributed.

I am not at this time willing to change my profile name to my first initial and last name (which is what I use for about 50% of my publications and I can provide evidence), though I may change my mind later.

Anyone within Google willing to take this on (since clearly there's no form that I can access for me to argue this myself), or shall I just delete my Google+ account? Or I guess I could doctor my driver's license to only include initials and send that in, since clearly that's worked for other people.

Originally posted on Dreamwidth. comments there. Comment here or there.

Comments

[meig.livejournal.com]

I guess I don't understand the whole uproar. If they want a full name and you don't want to give your real one, make a fake one. If you don't want to make a fake one thinking that people won't find you, email those people you know and tell them, I am so and so on G+.

My opinion is that it's Google's network, if they want a "real/full" name, either give them the name or don't use them. It's not like G+ is something you must use or have or you won't be able to function.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

If they want a full name and you don't want to give your real one, make a fake one.

I did. My fake name consisted of a single letter for my first name and a single letter for my last name. This was flagged as not being a "real name".

The issue though is not just about me, it's about a blatantly racist, sexist, and all around demeaning policy, and I used to think better of Google than this. I could spend hours rewriting what's out there, but instead here's three links.

* Why "if you don't like it, don't use it" isn't a good argument
* List of people harmed by a "real names" policy
* Testimonies by people who feel that choosing one's own name is important

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Part of the problem is that Google -had- a policy of being very supportive of people choosing whatever name they wanted. This goes against all their former statements. (They are also enforcing the current G+ name policy very, very inconsistently.)

Another problem is that many people do not want an Internet where "name that can easily be linked to your job, your address, and all your family and friends" becomes the status quo, and if one of the biggest names in the Internet makes "real" name required, it will be easier for more companies/services to do the same later on.