Editor's take: Drastic times call for drastic measures. Facebook has seen user engagement slow in recent quarters, and competition from rival social platforms like TikTok is only expected to get more intense. If Facebook can stave off irrelevance at the expense of some longstanding policies, then so be it.
Meta will soon allow select Facebook users to have up to five profiles tied to a single account.
As part of an upcoming test, some users will be allowed to create up to four additional profiles. Users won't be required to attach their real name or identity to the extra accounts.
The idea is that users can maintain different profiles for different purposes. For example, your master account could be used to interact with close friends and family as you do today. A separate profile would allow you to connect with co-workers, or for other job-related activities, while another could be used to engage with peers that share a common interest in a particular hobby.
A spokesperson for Meta told Engadget that participants must still adhere to Facebook's rules, meaning activity like impersonating someone else won't be allowed.
It is unclear how many users will be included in the test. Should Meta decide to roll it out platform-wide, it could drastically change the mechanics of Facebook. It also goes against some of Facebook's longstanding policies as it relates to how many accounts you can have and using your real name on the platform.
Image credit: Luca Sammarco