Facebook said it would change its policy requiring users to go by their real names on the social network, following criticism fasced over the locking of hundreds of accounts, including a number belonging to drag queens using their stage names. Facebook's product chief, Christopher Cox, apologized in a post on Wednesday and said the affected users could go back to using their aliases.

Facebook had locked scores of accounts in recent weeks, including hundreds belonging to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

"The spirit of our policy is that everyone on Facebook uses the authentic name they use in real life. For Sister Roma, that's Sister Roma. For Lil Miss Hot Mess, that's Lil Miss Hot Mess," Cox wrote, denying that the company's policy required users to go by their legal names.

Facebook had said earlier that it would give users two weeks to adjust their profiles to display their real name or convert their personal pages into fan pages that allow the use of nicknames.

In July, Google removed restrictions on use of aliases on its Google+ social network, bowing to demands from users for privacy.