In what universe does one need submit government-issued photo ID to access her social media account? Facebook.

The site I've been using for a decade since I first registered with a university-issued email account to prove I was who I said I was. The site that's let me change my display name a half dozen times without restriction so I can include the monikers I use in different social circles. The site that let me change it again in the last month.

And now I am not allowed to access my account until I send to Facebook government-issued photo ID with my name and birth date. The site now claims to require that of all users. Its name and ID policies are poorly written and outright nonsensical.

"Facebook is a community where people use their authentic identities. We require people to provide the name they use in real life; that way, you always know who you're connecting with. This helps keep our community safe." MILLIONS of people use pseudonyms and nicknames in REAL LIFE.

Facebook's recent move to "real name" enforcement has outed untold numbers of domestic abuse victims, some close to me, who used pseudonyms for their safety. These policies do the exact opposite of keeping the community safe. As a woman, I also don't particularly enjoy being stalked and harassed online (which I have dealt with in the past), but Facebook has begun actively working to enable such.