Having multiple Facebook accounts is not necessarily prohibited by Facebook, but it can be against their terms of service depending on how the accounts are used. There are some signs that may indicate a person has more than one account that are worth being aware of.
Why Would Someone Have Two Facebook Accounts?
There are a few main reasons why a person might maintain two or more Facebook accounts:
- To separate personal and professional contacts and content
- To create a fake or anonymous account for privacy reasons
- To create additional accounts to like or follow themselves and artificially inflate popularity
- To get around Facebook bans or blocks by creating a new account
- To segment interests, hobbies, family, etc. into different accounts
- To test or experiment with different privacy settings
As long as the person is transparent about having multiple accounts and is not using them for deceptive purposes, this is generally allowed by Facebook. Using fake accounts or artificially boosting popularity and engagement, however, would violate their terms.
Signs Someone May Have A Second Account
Here are some signs that may indicate a person has more than one Facebook account:
- They seem to have multiple distinct friend groups that don’t interact or overlap at all
- There are two accounts with very similar names (like a maiden name and married name)
- You come across an account with their photo but a different name
- Interactions on their posts come from accounts you don’t recognize
- Their engagement and followers seems disproportionate to the number of posts
- They post different types of content (personal, professional, family, etc.) on different accounts
None of these signs guarantee that someone has two accounts – they may just have a segmented friend list, for example. But it can prompt you to pay closer attention or tactfully ask if they have another profile.
How To Tell If Two Accounts Are The Same Person
If you suspect two accounts belong to the same person, here are some ways to help confirm whether or not that is true:
- Compare photos – do they look like the same person?
- See if they have the same first and last name on both accounts
- Look for identical profile photos, posts, or life events
- Do they have a similar writing style and tone?
- Do they interact with and know the same people?
- Check relationship status, work, location and see if they match
If you still aren’t sure, try friending one account from the other and see if they both accept. Or, ask a mutual connection if they know whether the accounts belong to the same person.
Can You Report Fake Or Secondary Accounts?
You can report duplicate, fake, or secondary accounts to Facebook by following these steps:
- Go to the profile you want to report
- Click the three dots in the top right corner
- Select “Find Support or Report Profile”
- Choose “Pretending to be Someone”
- Select “This is a fake account”
- Click continue and explain why you think it’s fake
Keep in mind Facebook may not remove an account just for being secondary unless it is actively used for deception. Some key signs of a fake account include:
- Little or no personal info
- Few posts and interactions
- Stock or stolen profile photos
- Suspicious username formats
If an account seems fake, be sure to report it so Facebook can investigate and remove it if necessary. But having two legitimate accounts is not necessarily against policy.
Can You Get Someone’s Other Account Disabled?
It is generally not possible to purposefully get someone’s secondary account disabled just because you don’t like that they have two accounts. Facebook allows people to have multiple accounts as long as they follow the rules. Some reasons an additional account may get disabled include:
- Using a fake name
- Impersonating someone else
- Artificially inflating popularity
- Abusing tags or invites
- Spamming or harassing
- Spreading misinformation or hate
If you can demonstrate one of the above violations, you may be able to get a secondary account removed. But if the account is following Facebook’s terms, there is no legitimate way to force its disablement. The best course of action is to unfriend or block accounts you don’t want to see.
What Happens If You Have Two Accounts?
In most cases, nothing will happen if you properly maintain two legitimate Facebook accounts. Some potential consequences include:
- Being asked to verify your identity or disable one account if reported
- Limits on invites and friend requests if artificially boosting popularity
- Deactivation of fake or improperly used accounts
- Your accounts could get banned for serious or repeated violations
As long as you use your accounts honestly, don’t impersonate others, and comply with Facebook’s terms, having two accounts is unlikely to cause major issues. The main risk is temporary restrictions if accounts are flagged for review.
Tips For Properly Managing Two Accounts
If you want to maintain two Facebook accounts properly, keep these tips in mind:
- Use your real identity on both – no fake accounts
- Clearly separate friend groups and types of content
- Don’t use one account to like, share, or artificially engage with the other
- Check privacy settings to keep accounts segmented
- Use different profile photos for easy visual separation
- Be transparent if asked – don’t deny having two accounts
Keeping your accounts’ purposes clear and interactions organic will help avoid problems. Periodically checking your privacy settings and content also helps maintain separation.
Conclusion
It is possible for diligent Facebook users to detect when someone has two accounts, based on signs like multiple friend groups, unrecognized interactions, and disproportionate popularity. Comparing names, photos, locations, and mutual connections can help confirm if accounts belong to the same person. Fake accounts should be reported, but legitimate secondary accounts are generally permitted under Facebook’s rules.
While getting someone’s second account purposefully disabled is unlikely to succeed, violations of Facebook’s policies on fake accounts, harassment, impersonation, and artificial engagement can sometimes result in account restrictions or removal. For those who properly maintain multiple accounts, there should be minimal risks as long as good account hygiene and transparency are practiced.