Facebook users could soon create several profiles

Last updated on July 23rd, 2022 at 11:55 am

Facebook is testing a feature that allows users to create several accounts from a single account in an effort to resuscitate user growth. 

In a statement to CNN Business, Facebook (FB) spokesperson Leonard Lam said the tool is meant to let users “tailor their experience depending on interests and relationships.” 

In spite of the fact that Facebook prevents users from having more than one account, the functionality would allow them to create up to five profiles under their account to engage with different themes or groups of people. Some examples of this include profiles (and, hence, Facebook feeds) built for close friends vs. coworkers, or a specific pastime like gaming. About Thursday, Bloomberg was the first to report on the new feature test.

The test comes at a time when Meta (FB), the parent company of Facebook, is experiencing sluggish profit growth and fierce competition from rivals like TikTok for users’ time and attention. This year’s first quarter saw Meta’s quarterly user growth trend reverse slightly after shocking investors in February with a stalling of quarterly growth.

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As a company, Meta is in the process of shifting its focus from social media to an augmented and virtual reality-enabled “metaverse.” However, it needs to keep making money from its current platforms in order to invest in its long-term goals. Currently, Facebook and Instagram are working together to make it easier for users to discover new content and participate in communities on both platforms. One example of this integration is the display of Instagram Reels in the Facebook news feed.

It is possible for people to use unique names for each new Facebook profile, but they are still bound by Facebook’s rules prohibiting misrepresentation and impersonation of public figures, according to Lam. It is still necessary for users’ primary profiles to adhere to the platform’s rule regarding the use of the name they regularly go by. Some Facebook features, such as the ability to create a page, will only be accessible to users’ main profiles, such as Facebook Dating.

User accounts will be suspended if a single profile violates the platform’s community guidelines. 

As Lam went on to say, “Anyone using Facebook must continue to follow our rules.” 

According to Lam, the company is testing the new feature with users in select countries, but he didn’t specify where or when the option would be widely available.