Facebook is reportedly working on a new mobile chat application that will allow users to communicate with others without using real names.
The world's largest social networking company, Facebook, is apparently taking a sharp turn against its strict real name policy. Unlike other Facebook-run apps, the new mobile chat application will let users remain anonymous while communicating with others. While the plans are still under the wraps, two sources familiar with the matter told The New York Times about the development of the new anonymous chat app.
Facebook's new standalone mobile app aims at giving multiple identities to its users to openly discuss various topics, which they may not feel comfortable talking about with their real names. According to the publication, the project is still underway and is being led by Josh Miller, Facebook's product manager who joined the company when it acquired his startup Branch. Miller started his company with main focus on products that improved small, online discussion groups.
Miller, along with his entire Branch team, has been working on the new app for the past year, according to the sources, with an expected launch in the coming weeks.
The report of the new anonymous app comes on the heels of Facebook's plans to foray into the healthcare sector as a way to connect sufferers of various diseases and provide preventive care apps. The anonymous feature of the app will be useful in health community discussions, sources revealed, adding further that its use will go far beyond.
With the development of a new app, it remains unclear how Facebook will prevent users from spammers and trolls, who more often hide behind fake identities. The social network has long fought against spammers on its site and promoted the real name policy to avoid abuse on its network.
Facebook hasn't made any official statement about the development of such an app. If true, this would be an extremely important step for the social networking giant to tap into the mobile communications field, where anonymous apps like Secret, Whisper among others have garnered impressive user-response.
