An advocacy group is calling on Meta to allow Facebook users to list more than one romantic partner in their profile. In a letter the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy (OPEN) sent to the social media giant on Thursday, it said the current design of Facebook’s relationship status feature is “exclusively” for people who practice ethical non-monogamy. The group has asked Meta to allow users to tag all of their romantic partners.
“At best, this limitation perpetuates the erasure and marginalization of non-monogamous relationships; at worst, it harms non-monogamous users by perpetuating social stigmas around the validity and authenticity of their relationships,” OPEN said.
A Meta spokesperson told The New York Times that the company is reviewing the letter, noting that Facebook already allows users to list on their profiles that they have an “open relationship” with one or more people. The timing of the request may seem odd given Facebook’s dwindling daily user base, but it’s in line with the growing number of people who are in non-monogamous relationships. According to data cited by OPEN, approximately four to five percent of American adults practice ethical non-monogamy.
All products recommended by Engadget have been selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.