Facebook can be quite the stickler when it comes to enforcing its real name policy. Celebrity writer Salman Rushdie took to Twitter complaining that Facebook deactivated his account because it thought it was a fake. After he proved his identity, the powers that be reactivated his page in his given name, Ahmed. Only after taking his problem public via Twitter did he get Facebook to back down and let him use Salman.

The Atlantic relays his complaint:

“Amazing. 2 days ago FB deactivated my page saying they didn’t believe I was me. I had to send a photo of my passport page. THEN… they said yes, I was me, but insisted I use the name Ahmed which appears before Salman on my passport and which I have never used. NOW… They have reactivated my FB page as ‘Ahmed Rushdie,’ in spite of the world knowing me as Salman. Morons.”

On Monday afternoon, Rushdie wrote that he got Facebook to change course.

Facebook apologized for the error:

“This action was taken in error, and Mr. Rushdie’s account has been reactivated with the correct name. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Facebook Tells Salman Rushdie He Has to Go By His Given Name, Ahmed Rushdie [The Altantic]

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