WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – If you use Facebook, you’ve probably seen a few of your friends imploring you to copy and paste their status so you don’t have to pay a subscription service to keep your posts and messages private.
There have been two statuses making the rounds again on our feeds – and they’ve actually been around for a couple of years.
One purports to be a legally binding statement protecting your photos from copyright infringement, that has resurfaced from when it first appeared around 2012.
It says: “As of September 28th , 2015 at 10:50p.m, I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future. 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 prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates.”
Another says that by posting a status, you are allowed to keep using Facebook for free, and don’t have to pay to use the service.
“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.”
It says: “Now it’s official! It has been published in the media. Facebook has just released the entry price: £5.99 ($9.10) to keep the subscription of your status to be set to “private.”
“If you paste this message on your page, it will be offered free (I said paste not share) if not tomorrow, all your posts can become public. Even the messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. After all, it does not cost anything for a simple copy and paste.”
If this is making you panic about the safety of your photos and messages, fear not.
Facebook fact checked these claims a while ago and has reassured users that photos and statuses set to private will stay that way, for free.
The fact check says: “There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users’ information or the content they post to the site.
This is false. 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.”
However, Facebook does own everything you post on the social media network, until you delete your account.
It says in its terms and conditions: “For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License).”
No status you post can stop that from being the case.
Courtesy: The Telegraph
