Microsoft Account - Is changing your Profile name illegal?

[BlueOwl245]

This is more a question for Microsoft, but because I have really struggled to contact them for 4 days now, I apologise for posting it here now..!

I'm a newbie confused about something. When you first register and activate your MS account, you are obviously expected as a point of law, to provide all your true details, inc your real name. Which I did of course. However, I wanted to stop my real name being revealed to receipients whenever I sent Outlook email... so the only way I found to do this, was to signin and change my 'profile name' to something more anonymous. Microsoft have already confirmed they know my real name from a credit card payment made, which is fine.

Someone in a bar has commented to me that "it is illegal" to use any name at all other than your real full name, including profiles, with Microsoft. (If this is true, why do they allow you to change it in management settings?)

Is this true?

BO245.

 

[jsooney]

People say a lot of things in bars, not sure how much stock I would put in that.

I don't have my real name on any of my email accounts except one, been that way for 15 years. I haven't been arrested yet.

 

[xandros9]

I don't think they really care.
they have bigger fish to fry, and if I deemed it necessary, I wouldn't hesitate to take such action.

Facebook however, has motivation to ensure real names, which I saw one of my friends running aground of.

 

[RumoredNow]

On my Microsoft Account and on my email addresses with Outlook and Yahoo, I just go by my initials. I loose zero sleep worrying about the morality, legality and ethics of it.

Your friend in the bar is pulling your leg.

 

[noersetiawan]

Yes it is, you already agreed with their ToS. But just like any ToS, nobody cares.

 

[BlueOwl245]

OK thanks everyone, this is pretty much what I figured... it's no big deal. In fact, I too am using just my initials to technically I am not declaring anything 'false'.

Noerse... when you say "yes it is" do you mean yes it is 'illegal'? Then why as a technicality do MS allow you the option of changing your profile name in Outlook? Doing so, does not change your real name that you first register with to create your main MS Account, does it?

(Also see my other threads about sending email from aliases and changing profile name in Outlook).

OB245.

 

[Pete]

It's the billing details that has to be correct. I don't think the rest really matters. Although it might seem a bit odd if you call support and they insist on talking to Mr Pumpkinhead.

 

[RumoredNow]

 

[BlueOwl245]

Thanks to everyone for their comments )

Although I am a worldly little owl, I sometimes feel like that pumpkindhead fella!

 

[noersetiawan]

Noerse... when you say "yes it is" do you mean yes it is 'illegal'? Then why as a technicality do MS allow you the option of changing your profile name in Outlook? Doing so, does not change your real name that you first register with to create your main MS Account, does it?

What I mean, providing wrong information is what goes against the ToS, changing name however it isn't, that's why they have the feature, you can have a name change IRL, or you have 5 words long name and later decided to move the words around with First, Middle, and Last name box, anyway, they expecting even if you change it it's still your real name.

 

[BlueOwl245]

As far as I am concerned, the facility is provided by MS to change your profile name, and they would not do so if they expected a real name (plus they would state a reminder that they 'expected' a real name to be used' by the name boxes, within your MS account settings.

Also, I agree with Pete - it's the billing and initially registered name that counts.

Thanks guys.

BO 245