Got friends who started posting on their Facebook walls, declaring copyright about their personal details, photos, videos, et al [see screenshot below]?
Well put down those raised eyebrows. It’s all a hoax.
Rapidly circulated across the social networking site, heaps of users found their news feeds flooded with posts claiming that those who would display them would allegedly get additional copyright and privacy protection.
While there were those who just raised their eyebrows and ignored the posts, there were naturally Internet users who hurriedly sought to invalidate the premise. Despite which, there are still some out there posting the same message last Tuesday, “keeping calm and carrying on.”
Facebook, for its part, has issued a statement stipulating that the text posts are a hoax: “Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been.”
As for the Facebook policy update email with the subject line: “Updates to Data Use Policy Statement of Rights and Responsibilities” (screen shot below), that is very much valid and truly issued by Facebook.
Note, however, that the Facebook policy update does not in any way constitute heinous use of your personal information, photos, graphics, videos, etc.
On the off chance that the said social networking giant would decide to go after your baby photo, would a cut-and-paste status be truly able to stop it?
Snopes advises: “Facebook users cannot retroactively negate any of the privacy or copyright terms they agreed to when they signed up for their Facebook accounts nor can they unilaterally alter or contradict any new privacy or copyright terms instituted by Facebook simply by posting a contrary legal notice on their Facebook walls. ” This is true whether Facebook is a publicly traded company or not.
That said, let’s look into the genuine Facebook update:
The new policy will permit Facebook to acquire info about you ”from our affiliates or our advertising partners” (with whom you’ve already decided to share your personal info, whether or not you were paying attention when you clicked on the button), to “improve the quality of ads.” Heaps of sites already do this, matching your data (which again, you’ve supplied, technically of your own choosing) to show you ads you would most likely be keen on, and to report to those advertisers how you did respond.
Facebook is also no longer allowing you to vote on policy changes — a privilege launched in 2009 to a constantly unimpressive reaction from users. NBC News reported earlier this year that “a vote on privacy changes resulted in hardly anyone voting.“ The rules may, however, be the culprit as ”hardly anyone” actually amounted to 342,632 votes at the time. A large number, but far from the third of its total users that Facebook required to vote before it would registers dissent.
You have until 9 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 28 to vote or comment on these and the other changes. That was just seven days since the policy notice went live on the Facebook Governance page, and seriously, how many users actually read that, much less would have actually voted?
Facebook made a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission last year over the collosal privacy reducation in 2009 that hinders the social network “from making any further deceptive privacy claims.” The social networking site is also now compelled to ”get consumer’s approval before changing the way it shares data, and requires that it obtain periodic assessments of its privacy practices by independent, third-party auditors for the next 20 years.”
Thus, those emails that consequently send everyone into a status-update cut-and-paste frenzy. If you were one of those who fell for it, it’s all right. You’re human, you value your privacy, and you were certainly not alone.
Do you think there is a way to take control of your personal data when social media is concerned? How do you tell a hoax from something that is real?
