Germany fights Facebook over real names policy

Hamburg data protection authority says that site cannot demand photo ID from users - and says company has to 'play by our rules' to operate in the country

Facebook has been told to allow people to use pseudonyms on its site by a German regulator, which has ruled that the site's "real name" policy violates the right to privacy.

The Hamburg data protection authority said on Tuesday that the site could not force users to give official ID such as a passport or identity card, nor could it unilaterally change their chosen names to their "real" names on the site.