December 18, 2012 at 13:01Instagram changes the contents of the user agreement. What does this mean for you?
- Transfer
Instagram released an updated version of the user agreement this Monday , which included long clauses on how user-uploaded photos can be used by Instagram and its parent company Facebook.
The changes will take effect January 16, 2013, and will not affect images uploaded to this date.
Both Facebook and Instagram hinted at plans to include ads within Instagram, although they refused to provide details of how and when this would happen. According to the new agreement, one can judge what they have in mind. Let's go over it and figure out what key changes can mean to users.
1. Instagram can provide information about its users to its parent company, Facebook, as well as related companies and its advertisers.
Instagram reports that the changes were made to the agreement in order to help it “easier to function as part of Facebook, by providing the ability to exchange information between the two companies.” This potentially beneficial step will allow advertisers to use the data and information that the user leaves on Instagram, such as favorite places, music groups, restaurants or hobbies, in order to more accurately target ads for a specific person
2. You can become part of advertising without your knowledge.
The section of the new agreement, entitled “Rights,” states that Instagram will also have the opportunity to use your photos and your identity inside advertising. “You agree that another company may pay us to show your username, likeness, photos (including any metadata associated with them), and / or the actions you perform, together with paid or sponsored content, without any compensation for you, ”read the new rules. This means that all photos uploaded to Instagram can appear in ads inside the service itself, or inside Facebook. In addition, anyone who doesn’t use Instagram can also appear in advertisements if a friend has posted his photo. Facebook is already rolling ads based on the activity of people on their site.
Mark Rottenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington-based law firm, said using a particular person’s image in an ad could be against some laws that protect privacy.
“Most states have laws that restrict the use of a person’s 'name or resemblance' for commercial purposes without consent,” says Rottenberg. “It would be legal to allow a person to receive commercial benefits from their images and preferences, which is a big problem for both stars and others, as well as a cause for concern for Facebook users, whose images are already used by them to incite their friends to buy goods and services. "
3. Minor users are no exception.
Despite the fact that you must be over 13 years old to register on Instagram, the new conditions say that if a teenager is registered, he thereby confirms that his parent or guardian has agreed to use his image, username and photos in advertising.
4. Advertising may not be called as such.
In another part of the new agreement, you are told that advertising will not necessarily be marked with advertising. “You acknowledge that we are under no obligation to identify paid services and sponsored content as such.”
5. Want to dodge? Delete account.
The only way to avoid the new conditions is to stop using the service. If you enter Instagram in any way, including a website, a mobile application or any other service offered by the company, you will automatically agree to have your data and your content used in advertising. The agreement says: "Using the site, service or any application (including mobile) created by Instagram (collectively referred to as the Service), in any way, you subscribe to this agreement."
Instagram reported these changes on his blog, noting that “nothing has changed regarding the ownership of your photos and whoever can see them.” In this post, the company says that the changes are mainly designed to help combat the spam that has flooded the social network with its popularity.
“The new agreement helps protect you and prevent spam as we grow,” the company writes.
Here are a couple of views on the situation. I, as a malicious hipster, already reel fishing rods.
The head of the company tried to apologize in the official blog, citing the complexity of an unambiguous interpretation of legal documents for ordinary people.
The changes will take effect January 16, 2013, and will not affect images uploaded to this date.
Both Facebook and Instagram hinted at plans to include ads within Instagram, although they refused to provide details of how and when this would happen. According to the new agreement, one can judge what they have in mind. Let's go over it and figure out what key changes can mean to users.
1. Instagram can provide information about its users to its parent company, Facebook, as well as related companies and its advertisers.
Instagram reports that the changes were made to the agreement in order to help it “easier to function as part of Facebook, by providing the ability to exchange information between the two companies.” This potentially beneficial step will allow advertisers to use the data and information that the user leaves on Instagram, such as favorite places, music groups, restaurants or hobbies, in order to more accurately target ads for a specific person
2. You can become part of advertising without your knowledge.
The section of the new agreement, entitled “Rights,” states that Instagram will also have the opportunity to use your photos and your identity inside advertising. “You agree that another company may pay us to show your username, likeness, photos (including any metadata associated with them), and / or the actions you perform, together with paid or sponsored content, without any compensation for you, ”read the new rules. This means that all photos uploaded to Instagram can appear in ads inside the service itself, or inside Facebook. In addition, anyone who doesn’t use Instagram can also appear in advertisements if a friend has posted his photo. Facebook is already rolling ads based on the activity of people on their site.
Mark Rottenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington-based law firm, said using a particular person’s image in an ad could be against some laws that protect privacy.
“Most states have laws that restrict the use of a person’s 'name or resemblance' for commercial purposes without consent,” says Rottenberg. “It would be legal to allow a person to receive commercial benefits from their images and preferences, which is a big problem for both stars and others, as well as a cause for concern for Facebook users, whose images are already used by them to incite their friends to buy goods and services. "
3. Minor users are no exception.
Despite the fact that you must be over 13 years old to register on Instagram, the new conditions say that if a teenager is registered, he thereby confirms that his parent or guardian has agreed to use his image, username and photos in advertising.
4. Advertising may not be called as such.
In another part of the new agreement, you are told that advertising will not necessarily be marked with advertising. “You acknowledge that we are under no obligation to identify paid services and sponsored content as such.”
5. Want to dodge? Delete account.
The only way to avoid the new conditions is to stop using the service. If you enter Instagram in any way, including a website, a mobile application or any other service offered by the company, you will automatically agree to have your data and your content used in advertising. The agreement says: "Using the site, service or any application (including mobile) created by Instagram (collectively referred to as the Service), in any way, you subscribe to this agreement."
Instagram reported these changes on his blog, noting that “nothing has changed regarding the ownership of your photos and whoever can see them.” In this post, the company says that the changes are mainly designed to help combat the spam that has flooded the social network with its popularity.
“The new agreement helps protect you and prevent spam as we grow,” the company writes.
Here are a couple of views on the situation. I, as a malicious hipster, already reel fishing rods.
The head of the company tried to apologize in the official blog, citing the complexity of an unambiguous interpretation of legal documents for ordinary people.