Janet CollinsCelebrity Cyber Faking
January 4th 2009 20:34
Want to pretend you are George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt or maybe even Julia Roberts? It’s easy, even legal – or at least, it’s not illegal.
“Space Faking” is a growing trend where internet users create websites in celebrities’ names and even respond to fans and this has authorities worried.
Inventing a cool name for internet chatting, a personal social networking account or for simply blogging is innocent enough, particularly if you are not being offensive or pretending to be another person who actually exists.
Assumed identities on the internet are now becoming more serious. Authorites are now very concerned about the trend for online users who are assuming the identities of real people. The names assumed are often celebrities and fans have been none the wiser. The problem is that the people and celebrities they are pretending to be don’t have any control over what these online space fakers are actually saying in their name.
In The Sun Herald yesterday, reporter Tom Nicol tells of the dangers of fake profiles that impersonate celebrities citing one example of a false online identity. A former America’s Next Top Model contestant Sheena Sakai has been outraged at a You Tube video of someone impersonating her and lashing out at fans. The online person pretending to be Sheena is also answering fan messages.
Fortunately, another site that was forced to shut down recently was actually assisting people create fake personas online. FakeYourSpace.com was forced offline after a photo company claimed it illegally used images on the site.
Technically, using a false name or site on the internet is not identity theft but it is once step removed from fraud say authorities and it is causing a lot of concern.
An online group is one step ahead of the authorities it seems. FakersBusted.com is a forum that lists thousands of faked profiles. Many who have logged on to FakersBusted have been shocked to find multiple accounts in their name.
The full article can be read here:
Really Long Link
Image courtesy of People Magazine
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