Microsoft has been trying to position Xbox Live as a sort of social media platform for gaming for quite a while now. Part of that push was the ability to share your real name attached to your Microsoft account to friends or even the general public. As a traditionally secretive bunch, some chose to use fake names filled with emojis or that served as messages. Most of us probably opted to hide it from everyone, but a recent bug has circumvented this for some users.
According to a recent Reddit post, many users have had their settings for real name sharing mysteriously changed from “Blocked” to “Everyone.” This even includes those who created fake names out of cat emojis. If your real name is attached to your Microsoft account, you may be vulnerable. You can check to confirm your settings are correct on Microsoft’s account settings page or on your Xbox.
Xbox Support has confirmed Microsoft is looking into the cause of the bug.
