Facebook Estimates Around 10% of Accounts Are Fake

An anonymous reader writes "Last week, during its fourth-quarter earnings report, Facebook revealed it had 1.23 billion monthly active users, 757 million daily active users, 945 million monthly active mobile users, and 556 million daily active mobile users. In its 10-K filing published on the weekend, the company estimated that in 2013, between 5.5 percent and 11.2 percent of these users were fake." Another anonymous reader sent in a link to a recent interview where Mark Zuckerberg appears more pragmatic in his opinions about forcing real identities online: "Former Facebook employees say identity and anonymity have always been topics of heated debate in the company. Now Zuckerberg seems eager to relax his old orthodoxies. 'I don’t know if the balance has swung too far, but I definitely think we’re at the point where we don’t need to keep on only doing real identity things,' he says. 'If you’re always under the pressure of real identity, I think that is somewhat of a burden.'"

Translating to real-life

[ctheme]

Does this mean that 10% of my friends aren't really my friends?

That makes sense

[Anonymous Coward]

"between 5.5 percent and 11.2 percent of these users were fake."

I assume they are just counting the entire Los Angeles population right? ;-)

Re:Right

[dccase]

Certainly 50% of mine are fake.

And the other one is slightly exaggerated too.

Not mine

[tylersoze]

I'm a 104 year old man born in Antarctica currently residing in the North Sentinel Islands. I graduated from Columbine High School at the age of 1 and went to Miskatonic University in Arkham Massachusetts.

Re:Real identities are dangerous

[Anonymous Coward]

I work a high paying, gold collar contract job for the US government and have never had a Facebook account.

You're an idiot.

Re:Define "fake"

[Em Adespoton]

If I put up a Facebook page for my cat, is that considered a fake account? No fake identities have been used, though perhaps the T&S require all users to be human.

What about people who have two FB profiles - eg one filled with gaming apps and all the crap that comes along with it, and the other for socialising?

Is your cat 13 years old or older? I don't think they require you to be human, but they do have an age requirement. Maybe your pet turtle would be a better choice...?

The pressure of real identity

[TheloniousToady]

If you’re always under the pressure of real identity, I think that is somewhat of a burden.

Exactly. That's why I post here so often as Anonymous Coward.