New privacy and terms of use announced by Instagram have catapulted the photo app darling into a “PR Firestorm”. On Monday the New York Times’ Bits blog and other national technology outlets explained the new terms and what they mean for millions of dedicated users. The most controversial is the term that states:
“To help [Instagram] 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.”
While it’s unlikely that pictures of my dog Kona or #MeatlessMonday recipes will be selected as ads on the platform anytime soon, headlines from CNET like “Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos” certainly captured my attention, along with everyone else’s—especially because as of now there is no way to opt-out. But if you spend a few minutes scanning your Instagram and Twitter feeds, you’ll quickly see that no one is quite sure what all of this means and straddle both sides of the fence.
https://twitter.com/reckless/status/281091793834110976
https://twitter.com/reckless/status/281092198827704320
https://twitter.com/reckless/status/281095660936232960
The GFM Digital team will be keeping a close on the rollout of the new terms on Jan. 16, 2013. In the meantime, we’re curious if this announcement has you thinking twice about using Instagram next year. Let us know by leaving a comment below!
