For the last couple weeks, there have been numerous ongoing and proudly proclaimed changes on Digg like Digg Newsrooms. There were other changes to Digg accounts that were not loudly announced. While people on Facebook continue to be outraged over the long history of privacy invasions, which then require a user to opt-out instead of users automatically opted-in to privacy-by-design, Digg does not have a history of invading Diggers' privacy. So when Diggers concerned with privacy started contacting me, we tried a process of elimination to track down how Diggers' account profile names were being changed. Eventually I contacted Digg to get their response.

The social news site Digg has been around since November 2004, so most Diggers joined the social networking site under an alias. Thefacebook was launched in February 2004, but Facebook was intended for a user to setup an account based on a real name. In May 2009, Digg integrated Facebook Connect and Diggers needed only to login with their Facebook account and confirm their Digg profile. Both Twitter and Facebook sharing via Digg took on more importance to help Diggers share their submissions after the August 2010 Digg v4 launch from hell. That little history lesson was to show that while people on Facebook were allegedly using their real name, most Diggers were content to use their Digg alias.

To be involved in Digg Newsroom beta testing, invited Diggers were asked to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). But NDAs have been a standard part of private meetings with Digg officials for a long time. So Digg is not grabbing real names off NDAs.

The screengrab above is what a "blank" Digg account profile looks like. It is not uncommon to see Digger's "full name" changed by the Digg user such as "Don't drop - on vacation!" Those name changes as a "status" are still possible. We did more hunting online before I wrote to Digg:

Several Digg users have contacted me about the use of their real name, or real first name, or a combo of both Digg alias and real name on their profiles as opposed to the Digg alias which they signed up with to Digg. Where are you gathering these real names, off Facebook as some have suggested? Off NDAs to beta-test Digg features? Or is it simply off of Digg account settings "Full Name"? I've been told that their "real name" is showing up instead of their Digg name for user submissions. Several diggers told me that they didn't make the change and had no idea how the information about them was changed, that they were not asked before the change occurred.

A Digg Spokesperson replied via email:

This story, "Digg Scrapes Facebook for Diggers' Real Identites and Photos" was originally published by Network World .