If you or someone you know has ever been impersonated on Facebook, you’ll appreciate how bizarre, frustrating and sometimes even frightening the whole ordeal can be.
Until now, however, victims of Facebook imitation have been pretty much on their own in the fight against copycats, relying on the help of friends or their own diligence to pinpoint imposters.
But Facebook says it’s now bringing out the big guns.
After facing criticism for years for lacking an adequate mechanism to deal with impersonators, the tech giant has announced plans to become more proactive in this battle.
On Tuesday, Facebook told Mashable that it’s currently testing a new feature that will send out automatic alerts if it detects that another user is impersonating you by using your name and photo. From there, you’ll be prompted to identity whether or not it’s truly an imposter account.
“We heard feedback … that this was a point of concern for women,” Antigone Davis, Facebook’s head of global safety, told Mashable. “And it's a real point of concern for some women in certain regions of the world where it [impersonation] may have certain cultural or social ramifications.”
Facebook reportedly began testing the new feature in November. It’s now available in about 75 percent of the world, the company said.
Is someone impersonating you online? Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have features that allow you to report imposter accounts. For more advice on what to do about imitators, check out this Lifehacker guide.
