The Facebook “Multiple Accounts” Warning

Have you received a message when you log into Facebook that they have detected multiple accounts and want you to disable one? Many users are seeing this message and aren’t sure if it’s legit or a virus, or what they should do about it.

The message is real, because creating multiple Facebook accounts (by the same person) violates their terms of service. Section 4 of their Statement of Rights and Responsibilities states:

1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
2. You will not create more than one personal account.

This hasn’t been staunchly enforced by Facebook in the past, but they are taking steps toward cracking down on those users with multiple accounts. This is why some people are seeing the following message when they log into Facebook:

Warning: Our Systems Detected You Have Multiple Accounts
It looks like you have more than one account on Facebook. Facebook is a community where people use their real identities so you always know who you’re connecting with. Maintaining multiple accounts is a violation of our Terms and could result in all of your accounts being disabled. Please remove this account and help us keep Facebook safe and enjoyable for everyone.

 

Should you see this message, you’ll be given the option to “Remove This Account” or deal with it “Later.” It would seem that most people are opting for the “later” choice. I have heard of some users disabling the “wrong’ account – in other words, they inadvertently disabled their main account and kept their secondary one.

If you see this message and are on your main Facebook account, you should select the “Later” option. Facebook hasn’t clearly spelled out exactly how they define a duplicate account, and it appears that this is merely a preliminary step in a crackdown that will likely escalate in the future.

If you’ve seen this message, please comment below about your experience.