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Instagram: We Won't Sell Your Photos

Posted by Soulskill on from the perhaps-now-the-internet-can-stop-panicking dept.

hugheseyau writes "Earlier, we discussed news that Instagram introduced a new version of their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service that will take effect in thirty days. The changes seemed to allow Instagram to sell users' photos, and many users were upset. Instagram now says 'it is not our intention to sell your photos' and that 'users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos.' This is good news for Instagram users." And so closes another chapter of "We Let Lawyers Write a Legal Document and The Internet Freaked Out."

6 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. The First Rule by geminidomino · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Rule #0 of business agreements: If a contract says that the other party CAN do something, proceed under the assumption that they WILL do it.

  2. They still have the rights... by Midnight_Falcon · · Score: 5, Insightful
    While they may not intend to exercise their rights, they still HAVE the rights to be able to use any instagram photos in ads, and use that for commercial purposes, etc.

    So this is a great example of doublespeak/equivocation -- our contract lets us do what we want, but we promise not to use what it allows us to right now to avoid a PR frankenstorm.

    I don't see how the case is closed after this...it isn't so much a case of we let lawyers write a document, as, we're just making sure we're "protected" to keep our "options" open in the future when we might "want" to exercise our rights to "your" photos...

    Given Facebook's history on privacy policy shenanigans, I think any reasonably prudent person would not trust Instagram's assertions..

    1. Re:They still have the rights... by tool462 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      any reasonably prudent person

      I believe that set is disjoint with the set of all instagram users.

  3. Re:We Won't Sell YOUR Photos by alphatel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    'it is not our intention to sell your photos' is not the same as "We won't ever sell your photos". History make a note before this is erased from yourself.

    --
    When the foot seeks the place of the head, the line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.
  4. bs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos"

    No.. they dont claim "ownership"... they do claim a perpetual and unlimited rights though... which is all the benefits of ownership, with none of the liabilities.

  5. Re:Typical slashdot attorney bashing by causality · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes those evil lawyers. Fucking slashdot with its predictable "commentary."

    Lawyers are one of the few priesthoods left in Western society. The purpose of a priesthood is to guard information from the uninitiated, so that most people are dependent on the priests.

    The Catholic Church of medieval times really hated the idea of a Bible written in the native languages of the laypeople. They preferred Latin, a language that was generally taught only to the clergy at that time. If there is ever a movement to simplify the law and remove the legalese, so that the average person could easily understand and apply it without professional help, you will see a similar outcry from the lawyers.

    The difference between a lawyer and a doctor is that the human body is inherently complex. The law is only so complex because men have made it so.

    --
    It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein