Mrs Joseph was born on April 19, 1908 and joined the social network when she was 102. But thanks to Facebook’s restrictions on entering birth dates, she’s forced to lie about her age. Writing in the about section on her Facebook page, she says “Facebook wouldn’t let me enter in a date that goes back that far”.

Gail Marlow, Mrs Joseph’s granddaughter and the administrator of her page, says that when she tries inputting her grandmother’s birth year as 1908, Facebook changes it to 1928. So for the past two years, the Michigan centenarian has remained 99 online.

“Due to my eyesight, my Granddaughter Gail is in charge of all my postings and responses. She reads me my public and private messages regularly,” writes Mrs Joseph, who is registered blind and is hard of hearing.

Ms Marlow told Click on Detroit that Facebook allowed her to “share her grandmother with the world”, even if she has to be just 99. “I truly believe being online has helped keep her young,” said Ms Marlow.

Ms Marlow has gathered 198 friends and posted 84 pictures on her grandmother’s behalf. She told WDIV-TV that she “would love to see” Joseph’s real age displayed on Facebook and say her inability to do so is “a glitch in the system.”