Instagram are going to sell all your photos!

[pixelbypixel]

Sorry for the UK news link, but deal with it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20767537

So Instagram are modifying their T&C's to state that any image uploaded to their service will forfeit any rights of the image to them, allowing them to sell your photos to advertisers and so forth. All your Instagram details and information will also be shared with Facebook (as you'd expect anyway).

I know many 'Photographers' who like to use Instagram while out and about without their cameras, unless they back up all their photos and close their accounts, they could find their photos being used in commercial advertising without being told and without any recognition.

I am used to privacy terms in sharing your personal info changing on the internet, and that has not bothered me too much, since if you add it to a social network then you are already sharing it, but to "SELL" your photos to "ADVERTISING" agencies is just off the scale.

You are basically being tricked in to authorizing them to steal from you. If you only use Instagram for personal photos, then it is likely not a problem (until that photo of your new hair shows up on a billboard), but for amateur/professional photographers - take note and find an alternative and close your account - if not closed by 16th January consider all your photos property of Instagram.

 

[GeekGhost]

Doesn't facebook do the same thing? I read somewhere that anything you upload to facebook in essence becomes their property and they can do with it as they please. I'm curious to know if this is the case without scouring their AUP/TOS.

 

[randomo]

I've never used Instagram - don't even really know what it is, in fact - but Snopes cites sources saying that Facebook does NOT own uploaded material.

 

[GeekGhost]

Thanks for that link randomo! Appreciate the clarification.

 

[DU]

I've never used Instagram - don't even really know what it is, in fact - but Snopes cites sources saying that Facebook does NOT own uploaded material.

Facebook don't own but they get a non-exclusive TRANSFERRABLE licence (while it's uploaded).

Most articles are saying that Instagram owns your photos and can use them without your permission. The much less exciting headline is that Instagram is licenced to use your pictures by virtue of you giving permission through their ToS.

That's the *yawn* version.

NO one should put high resolution images online somewhere other than their own server anyway (and watermarked).

There was a long thread about this here on NP a while back... I remember reading about one picture that was centre of attention back then:

http://redtape.nbcnews.com/_news/20...e-shuttle-photo-when-is-sharing-stealing?lite

Have fun trapped in legalese.

*For the record I don't upload any of my pictures that I care about online except one I allowed a Barcelona tour guide to include once. Though I am now concerned about Vistaprint....

Rep for PxP for keeping people aware.

 

[pixelbypixel]

So Instagram have reverted their Terms now after the media went crazy over it.

Turns out it only actually allowed Advertisers to pay Instagram to publish your photo 'with' with advert, not as part of it and not modified in any way.