Be wary of Instagram and its upcoming policy

[win_splash]

I know many want Instagram to come to the WP platform, even I wanted the official app to come to our platform since its such a popular photo sharing social network, but after reading the policy changes they made and will take effect on January 16, I'm not sure I want to use the service anymore. In a nutshell: Facebook's photo-sharing site Instagram has updated its privacy policy giving it the right to sell users' photos to advertisers without notification. The news is all over the web today. Simply search for: "Intagram right to sell user photos" and you'll see the results. Below is a BBC article from today.


BBC News - Instagram wants right to sell users' photos to advertisers

 

[Reflexx]

Yeah. Pretty jacked up.

This will bite then.

 

[ttsoldier]

The question is... Will users care? And if they do, what replaces instagram now?

 

[win_splash]

Instagram is so popular I don't think there is a viable alternative that can match its social aspect at the moment. Most people probably won't care, but I know a lot will. It's pretty scary to read that the only way to opt-out is to delete your account by January 16. Privacy settings within the App do not seem to matter when it comes to Instagram using your uploaded photos to share with advertisers.

 

[Reflexx]

I think most people who use free services understand that their information will be shared with advertisers.

The creepy part about this change is that advertisers can actually use your photos in their own ads. And you don't have to be compensated. Seems very shaky legally.

 

[SoloXCRacer]

If you don't pay for a product or service, then you are the product.

 

[inteller]

is that how you justify it?

 

[GSOgymrat]

I don't use Instagram and definitely won't bother trying it. The new policy is ridiculous.

 

[Reflexx]

is that how you justify it?

Not sure what you're getting at . What he said is pretty true for the most part.

****, even on this forum we are the product to advertisers. That's life on the net.

Instagram seems to be taking it to a whole new level though.

 

[juanitoriv]

Hey,

Like it says, only way to opt out is to delete by 1/16. Put out or get out.. Capitalism baby!! Gotta love it!!!!(?)

 

[win_splash]

If you don't pay for a product or service, then you are the product.

Ha ha...I like that.

 

[inteller]

I don't pay for Hotmail and they don't sift through my emails advertising for me. Making the consumer a product is a business choice, not a fact of life.

 

[win_splash]

I don't pay for Hotmail and they don't sift through my emails advertising for me. Making the consumer a product is a business choice, not a fact of life.

When I used my gmail account as a primary I know for a fact that Google went through my e-mails to display advertisements. I can tell because the ads banner on the top showed advertisement directly related to the content of my e-mails. I stopped using gmail because of that. I don't mind the ads, its a free service, but ads directly related to the content of my e-mails is pretty shady.

 

[juanitoriv]

Well, it's going to be laid out in their EULA, privacy agreements & Terms & Conditions. The average consumer doesn't read these things.

Ads based on the e-mail content?? That's a bit far if you ask me though.

 

[mlm1950]

It isn't a matter of advertising revenue, it is a matter of intellectual property. Why is it okay to give up the rights to something you created so that someone else can potentially profit off of it?

What if Microsoft or Dropbox one day decided that everything uploaded to Skydrive or Dropbox became theirs to do with as they wished?

 

[robinleck]

Hi, I am clueless about all these privacy policy bs but in layman's term, can I say that Instagram just did a Google ?!?!
That is BOTH are profiteering from my privacy rights.
Please enlighten me

 

[jdevenberg]

Hi, I am clueless about all these privacy policy bs but in layman's term, can I say that Instagram just did a Google ?!?!
That is BOTH are profiteering from my privacy rights.
Please enlighten me

This is, IMO worse than anything Google has ever done. Instagram is saying that they have the right to use your intellectual property for their monetary gain, not only without compensating you, but without even ever informing you. This would be like Google saying "Since you used Google Docs to write this book, we have the right to publish it, without notifying you, and without paying you any sort of royalty."

I personally will be deleting my Instagram account today.

 

[robinleck]

My 2cents...
WP8 has Lens apps integrated into the camera.
Nokia 920 has the best camera built into a smartphone, complemented by their exclusive photo apps such as Creative Studio, Cinemagraph & Photobeamer.
All the above functions & features are integrated seamlessly into WP8.
And you can share your photos privately & exclusively by setting up your own little community using WP8's built-in Room app. I believe your own private community can be extended to your iOS & Android friends once they installed the Room app.
All the above-mentioned functionalities far exceed what Instagram can offer. Especially now with their intrusive privacy policy.
The beauty of Windows Phone is such that the integrated functions & features make apps ALMOST redundant in our WP world whereas in iOS/Android world, apps have become the master while the users are the slaves.

 

[robinleck]

This is, IMO worse than anything Google has ever done. Instagram is saying that they have the right to use your intellectual property for their monetary gain, not only without compensating you, but without even ever informing you. This would be like Google saying "Since you used Google Docs to write this book, we have the right to publish it, without notifying you, and without paying you any sort of royalty."

I personally will be deleting my Instagram account today.

Thanks for the analogy
Btw, I don't use Instagram but I do cherish my privacy

 

[juanitoriv]

It isn't a matter of advertising revenue, it is a matter of intellectual property. Why is it okay to give up the rights to something you created so that someone else can potentially profit off of it?

What if Microsoft or Dropbox one day decided that everything uploaded to Skydrive or Dropbox became theirs to do with as they wished?

I would be pissed!!