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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/29422
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Please bear with me, the question really is for writers. I'm authoring software that manages ebooks. I'm to the point of representing the "profile" of authors who choose to use pen names.

How should I handle images? Should I allow a headshot at all? If the intent of the pen name is to actually obfuscate the legal identification of the writer, then any image of one's self in this day and age completely defeats the purpose (c.f. reverse image searches via [TinEye](https://tineye.com/).) Facial recognition software is getting good enough that, if someone really wanted to know, even using an earlier image of yourself would eventually identify you.

I could go into things like the legal issues of using a stock image (bad...) or simply allowing an avatar image (what would be the point?), but they don't actually address the issue.

Now, to complicate matters, pen names are anything from a simple diminution of your legal name, ("Matt Smith" is technically a pen name for "Matthew Clay Smith") to a fully obscure branding. Since a legal name is required by the site for payment/tax purposes, all ebooks must be assigned a pen name as a matter of programmatic policy. Thus, "Matt Smith" may want to use his selfie.

Further, authors using multiple pen names is not uncommon.

So, I'm actually talking about the case of an obfuscating pen name(s). From a writer's perspective, do you want the ability to load an image, even if you won't load a personal headshot?

Original score: 14