Don’t Get Suckered By This Facebook Myth

Today I saw my friend post this status on her Facebook Timeline:

I, FIRST LAST, as of November 6, 2013 9:18 Eastern time, do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future without monetary compensation. All photos will require a $50 payment per use (to include those that are edited or otherwise altered) and posts will be $25 per reference, citation, or when used in any form without express written consent by me. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute).

NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you don’t post this message, any statuses you post or any pictures you upload onto your account becomes public domain and can be used by Facebook without permission. Don’t share this message or it won’t count. Copy and paste only!

It’s pretty serious sounding. However, it doesn’t serve any purpose, other than to scare people. (I know that my friend was not intending to scare people at all – she just wanted to make sure her profile was protected, as we all do.)

There are several reasons posting a status update like this won’t work, laid out by Snopes.com (where I always look first when I see something like this):

As a Facebook user, you are not able to retroactively revoke the privacy and copyright terms that you agreed upon when you signed up for your account.

The fact that Facebook is now a “public entity”, meaning that they issue stocks that are publicly traded on the open market, has nothing to do with your privacy agreement or their copyright rules. (They have been a public entity since May 18, 2012.)

Facebook does NOT own your media or your content. However, it is important to remember that, according to Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes: “Under our terms you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute, and share the things you post, subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings.”

You can control the information that you share on Facebook: “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. Click here to learn more – www.facebook.com/policies.”

Posting a notice on your Timeline doesn’t mean anything and is not legally binding. The only way to protest Facebook’s policies is to delete your account permanently. And the only way to assure that a photo or any other content is not shared publicly is to NOT post it on a social network.

If you are concerned by any of Facebook’s policies and procedures, take a moment to review their legal terms and their privacy policy.

Rumors and myths about Facebook and their supposedly evil ways will continue to abound. It is important to be educated about your rights and responsibilities as a Facebook user (and a user of any and all social media).

Have you seen this myth on Facebook? How do you protect your account?

photo credit: Todd Klassy via photopin cc