On Monday, Facebook announced that it will use its users Instagram photos and other content, for advertising and other purposes, without their consent. The company’s updated privacy policy reads ” To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”
It goes on to succinctly state that “Instagram does not claim ownership of any Content that you post on or through the Service. Instead, you hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the Content that you post on or through the Service.”
Many users greeted this news with worry, there was a short brouhaha on the internet that is just cooling, some users have threatened to opt out of the service. Analysts even described the move as a daring one. Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) purchased the highly successful Instagram in April this year for $1 billion, it was revealed later that Twitter had been planning to buy Instagram for half that amount.
In September, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) announced that Instagram had reached an impressive 100 million users. We are yet to see how this move will impact that figure or if Instagram will revise this policy. Many users were particularly concerned that this new policy also covers the content of minors. But according to the company’s policies, it is assumed that the content of person’s under 18 has been approved by a parent or guardian.
While some parts of the new policy may have led many to believe the company is throwing it all to the wind. Another part reminds users, “You agree that Instagram is not responsible for, and does not endorse, Content posted within the Service. Instagram does not have any obligation to pre-screen, monitor, edit, or remove any Content. If your Content violates these Terms of Use, you may bear legal responsibility for that Content.”
During Facebook’s, 3Q earning call in October, the company’s CEO spoke of Instagram being “a platform success story”, he said “We got to know them because they built a social integration with us that a lot of people really liked, and both companies saw the opportunity to do even more together”. But this recent move has left many wondering if this is the best way Facebook Inc. and Instagram “can grow even faster than they would have alone”.
