Meta Platforms Inc revealed that its flagship social media platform Facebook is introducing a new feature that will allow users to maintain up to five profiles tied to a single account. So far, Facebook has only allowed users to maintain a single profile linked to their account on the platform; but that’s about to change.
As per the company, Facebook users will be able to create four additional profiles tied to their accounts. This is in addition to the already existing profile users have on Facebook. The reason behind this move is to let people use those additional profiles for different purposes – personal, work, business, entertainment, and more. Users will be able to switch between their profiles in just a few taps.
Facebook spokesperson Leonard Lam told TechCrunch, “to help people tailor their experience based on interests and relationships, we’re testing a way for people to have more than one profile tied to a single Facebook account.”
Additional profiles don’t have the mandate to include the user’s real name, as is the case with the primary profile on Facebook. As long as the user name is unique and doesn’t use any numbers or special characters, users can choose what they like for the additional profiles. However, the main profile will continue to use the real name of the user.
The company says that these additional profiles “must continue to follow” Facebook’s rules. They are still subject to Facebook’s policies and they can’t misrepresent your identity or impersonate other people. Additionally, if you receive any violation on an additional profile, your account as a whole will be affected.
Facebook says that this rule will prevent people from abusing the new feature. If someone is flagged for repeatedly violating company policies, Facebook’s systems will recognise this behaviour and take the required action. This may include removing a single profile or banning a user’s account altogether.
Facebook’s additional profiles feature is currently undergoing testing with select users. There’s no information regarding when this feature will roll out to all users.