In today’s edition of Shocking Social Media News, Instagram decides it’s time to cash in on its users.
(This is my surprised look.)
After all, Instagram was acquired by Facebook two months ago, so it doesn’t necessarily surprise anyone to learn it has availed itself of the right to use your photos (and likeness) in ads (which it doesn’t yet offer) without permission or compensation.
Nice.
(From the always interesting Good Morning Silicon Valley email)
Under the new terms of service, users may technically still own the photos, but essentially give away all ownership rights: “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 user name, 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 reads. The changes take effect Jan. 16.
So in theory, if you’re on vacation and take an Instagram photo of your girlfriend by the swanky hotel pool, that photo could be used by the hotel in an ad on Instagram or Facebook, and her likeness could be used as well.
This drives a recurring theme here at the Underground: professional content creators had better ask themselves who they’re really enriching by contributing to social media sites, especially given the recent string of revelations about the difficulties brands face making Facebook and other social media pull their own weight.
UPDATE: Instagram/Facebook back down.
Amusingly, Instagram’s language suggests the whole thing was just a misunderstanding — an accident of ambiguous language — but the original language seems pretty unambiguous.
Trustworthy? A Facebook company? C’mon…
I highly doubt this is the last time we’re going to hear about this issue with Instagram. For now, they may have backed down… but they will find some other creative way to get what they want, they are after all, a free service… and a “for profit” business.
Great post. :)
Joseph Ratliff(Quote) (Reply)
You’re right. We’re going to see a lot of this kind of thing as social network sites try to justify their insane stock valuations. Facebook’s already gone down that road by offering up promoted posts in lieu of actually distributing posts to all a page’s “likes,” thereby devaluing FB as a worthwhile communications platform.
More to come, and thanks for stopping by.
TC(Quote) (Reply)
As I keep telling people, the users of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google are not the “customers” of those companies…the advertisers who mine the personal data are.
Also, who ever reads those pages and pages of legal stuff we readily agree to, in order to become a customer, I mean, ad fodder so we can do stuff online for free?!?
I refuse to “Like” any sites as that just gives the companies more access to personal info.
BTW – I actually don’t equate this behavior to greed. I see it as a business model between for-profit companies and social media addicts. The problem is that many (most?) users do not understand that little in life is free. Except the high quality content on sites like yours…and mine(?).
Of course, none of this will matter after Friday, right?
A. Wannabe Travelwriter(Quote) (Reply)
I’m more focused on the “professional” users who don’t realize they’re handing their work over to a company who makes a lot more money than they do.
As for the end of the world, well, I spent two hours today moving snow, so I’m suddenly not really sure how much terror the end of times really holds for me.
TC(Quote) (Reply)