Facebook has released a new app that will let users communicate anonymously on the social network, but rejects fears that it may encourage trolls and online bullying.
The new app Rooms will be a standalone app for iOS, and will aim to allow users to discuss sensitive issues on the social network without revealing their true identity.
Rooms will let users create an anonymous area where they can design the space using colours, cover photos and icons and then invite others to join them.
The social network giant claims that they will combat trolls looking to take advantage of the initiative by banning devices rather than accounts on the site. The move will mean that online bullies won’t be able to create multiple accounts to harass people on the site.
Speaking to The Telegraph on the latest innovation, Facebook product manager Josh Miller said:
“There is a good reason in a lot of situations why you don’t want people to know who you are and it’s not because of something sketchy. We want to give people flexibility because that’s what they want.”
Rooms will be included under the Facebook community guidelines, which strongly prohibits hate speech, threats or spam and can result in the removal of posts, members of entire pages.
The latest move by the tech giant hasn’t been universally accepted by the Facebook team, with chief product officer Chris Cox believing the move could lead to unsafe behaviour on site:
“It’s part of what made Facebook special in the first place, by differentiating the service from the rest of the internet where pseudonymity, anonymity or often random names were the social norm.
“It’s the primary mechanism we have to protect millions of people every day, all around the world, from real harm.”
