So you got a picture of yourself relaxing on the beach in Bikini and want to upload it on Facebook for your friends to see? Well, think again; You wouldn’t like to get featured in ‘Massage parlor’ ads!. Yes! the new ‘Terms of Service & data policy’ inked by Facebook just allows them to do so with your personal pictures and videos.
The new Terms have been modified to allow the company to sell virtually anything that is uploaded by users to its service, This includes all of your photos, your identity and your data. This means that any photos uploaded to Facebook may be sold, distributed or otherwise commercialized with no compensation to the Photographer. At the same time Facebook doesn’t infringe any copyright; You still hold copyright for your photos, but you’ve licensed them to use your photos anywhere (for free).
Unfortunately there’s no way to disagree ‘Terms of Service’. If you are using Facebook you automatically agree with the TOS – the only way to defy is to stop using the service. This has seriously upset professional Photographers around the world since they are compelled to automatically grant Facebook an irrevocable license to use, sell, or edit their hard earned photographs by using Facebook’s service.
Read this excerpt from Facebook’s new terms:
You give us permission to use your name, and profile picture, content, and information in connection with commercial, sponsored, or related content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us. This means, for example, that you permit a business or other entity to pay us to display your name and/or profile picture with your content or information, without any compensation to you. If you have selected a specific audience for your content or information, we will respect your choice when we use it.
How Facebook uses your personal information and uploaded data?
>> Your uploaded pictures could be used by potential advertisers on Facebook in their ‘Advertising campaign’ without informing you or compensating you. Other content like your Videos could be monetized in any manner.
>> When you use third-party websites or service that are integrated with Facebook, they may receive your personal details and information about what you post or share. For example, when you register on any website or service using Facebook connect button, you tend to giveaway your personal information to that website or service.
>> Apps that have Facebook integration, for example, In mobile games like ‘Candy Crush’ the Game developer may get information about your activities in the game, your Public Profile, which includes your username or user ID, your age range and country/language, your list of friends, as well as any information that you share with them.
>> Facebook has been monitoring your activities not only on its network but also on other websites that you visit, with the help of ‘Digital Advertising Alliance‘. they have rendered and stored all of your personal stuffs and activities to show you relevant ads.
Professional Photographers, What you should do?
>> As a constructive suggestion, Rather than posting your pictures on Facebook; get a ‘professional website’ and post your work there. You can share your website links back on Facebook. This way you will have more control over your pictures.
>> Post your images on Services like Smugmug, 500px, Flickr, etc and post the corresponding low-resolution copy of your images on your Facebook page and ask your fans to check them by simply providing links in your Facebook posts. Do not integrate your Facebook account with these services, else each time you post an image to these services, the copy of it will also be uploaded to a Facebook album.
>> Always use watermark on your photos before you upload them on Facebook. And make sure you upload low-resolution pictures. Please note that if you are posting hi-resolution images and letting Facebook resize them; Just because they show low resolution, doesn’t mean they don’t keep the hi-resolution version.
Final Word
Social Networks are the most public of public places, which means whatever is posted, will be available to anyone anywhere. If you are afraid that something you post or share on Facebook, will be made public – don’t post it or even better, don’t use Facebook, period.
Do share this article with your friends and let them know about these updated terms and data policy as often we do, they might have also ignored it. PEACE!.
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