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Comment by avaer | Hacker News Reader

The second argument hits a snag when a Facebook account is counted as a border credential by the government.

And 'just not entering that country' isn't a solution how?

That's not a solution that absolves Facebook of social or moral responsibility if they are a link in the chain of immigration policy.

Facebook, to my knowledge, didn't ask to be a link in the chain of immigration policy.

You're not wrong, but what point are you making exactly in this thread? You're responding to a thread in which the top-poster argues that we shouldn't complain about a free service, and then the point is made that facebook may effect immigration.

Are you saying that we shouldn't complain because we can just not enter that country? That we should avoid facebook, as well as the countries that ask for facebook credentials when you're entering them? That's definitely the implication I'm getting from your comments.

That's exactly the point I'm trying to make. Nobody owes you anything - not Facebook, not Google, not the coffeeshop down the street. Governments that are not your own owe you less than nothing, if such a thing exists. Don't like the service they provide, or how they do their business? Don't whine about it online and clog up our feeds, just... stop using the service. Behold - instant peace.

That's what I thought, thanks for clarifying.

My pleasure, happy to help. Thanks for keeping it civil ;-)

> not the coffeeshop down the street

The US had this argument over businesses with "Whites Only" signs and similar, and it was concluded that "just don't go there" is an inadequate response once the problem is large enough.

And if Facebook's policy was "real names for LGBTQFM only", or "real names for gay black Irish jews", I would be right there on the front lines with you in my outrage. Don't mess with the protected classes. But that's not the situation we have here. The situation is, "real names for everyone, regardless of race, color, creed, nationality", yada yada yada. Regardless of how poorly they're implementing it, that's their policy. Don't like it, don't go there.

A ""real names"" policy often ends up being highly discriminatory against trans people, and people with ""weird"" non-western names.

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