Social Media Monday—Can I Have Multiple Facebook Accounts Under Different Emails?

UPDATE: Although Facebook has NOT updated the user guidelines, they appear to be ignoring those who have infringed on this part of the agreement. I still stand by this post, but the risk may be worth it for some. 

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I know, you've already received one post from me today. But this Facebook issue has come up so many times recently I really want you to know the truth before you take any action!

I have seen a lot of advice lately encouraging writers to convert their personal profile to a fan/author page. That advice alone won’t necessarily get you in trouble, but the follow-up comment definitely will.

In every instance, I’ve seen the reassurance that you can always open up another personal profile under a different email. That little comment is one of the quickest ways to get permanently banned from Facebook.

But before we get into the details, let’s make sure we all know the difference between a Facebook Personal Profile and a Facebook Page.

Facebook Personal Profile

A Personal Profile is what you open when you register for a Facebook account to begin with. You open a personal profile with your name and email account. That email is how Facebook keeps track of all you’re doing on the site. When you create a page, or start a group, you still use the same account, with the SAME email address.

This personal profile is the place you’ll interact with friends and family. When you visit other people on Facebook you can tell you’re on a personal profile because you’ll see a clickable button that says, FRIEND REQUEST. This is called friending someone. The screenshot below shows the FRIEND REQUEST button.

Facebook Page

A Facebook Page is called by many different names: Business Page, Fan Page, Author Page, Professional Page. It doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s all the same thing. To open or create a page, you MUST have a personal profile. After you create a page, you can add other administrators to the page, but they must all have a personal profile.

Facebook developed the Page option for businesses and organizations to interact with supports and customers. If you visit a Page, you won’t have the option of sending a FRIEND REQUEST. Instead, you have the option of clicking the LIKE button. This is called Liking a page. The Screenshot below shows the LIKE button.

Facebook Group

This is a third option you’ve probably run into on Facebook. Not only can you open a personal profile, or create a page, but you can also start a Group. When you start a group, you select the type of settings you want. You can have a group everyone on Facebook can see, or you can have a secret group that no one can see except members, or you can have a group people can find, but can’t see the posts. I’ll devote an entire post just to Facebook Groups in the near future. But there’s not nearly as much confusion about groups as there is about profiles and pages.

Facebook Terms of Use

When I (and everyone else) signed up for Facebook, we agreed to the Facebook Terms of Use. This included agreeing to NOT maintaining multiple Facebook accounts under different emails.

Let me say this again….

Facebook does NOT allow one person to have multiple accounts under multiple emails.

Having multiple accounts does not refer to having several pages and/or groups. It refers to owning two or more Facebook accounts under two or more emails.

If Facebook discovers you have two or more accounts under different email addresses, you’ll be asked to close one. If you don’t, they have the option of banning you from Facebook. Here is the link to the Facebook information about this: Multiple Facebook Accounts. 

Should I Convert My Personal Profile to a Page?

Only you can answer that. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing that. But no matter what you decide, do it from a position of knowledge. Don’t take someone’s word on what you can and can’t do on Facebook. Read the guidelines for yourself and make an informed decision. Because, once you convert your personal profile to a page, the only way you can reverse it is to delete the account and start completely over, or petition Facebook to make the reversal for you. Here is the link to the Facebook Site Guidelines for this issue: Converting Your Facebook Personal Profile to a Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/help/175644189234902/

There is NOT a legal option of opening another personal profile under a different email account.

Now it’s your turn. What have you heard about this and what questions do you have?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie