On December 17, 2012, Instagram released an updated Terms of Service, which sparked an outrage from users of the popular photo-sharing application. The terms included a number of eye-raising changes, the most notable being that Instagram could use users’ photos and identities in advertisements without consent or compensation.
The new terms stated: “You agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you”. What this means is that any photos you post to Instagram could end up in an advertisement. Even people who do not use the service could end up in an advertisement if a friend takes a photo of them and shares it on Instagram. Instagram was also allowed to share user information with Facebook, and external advertisers, who could use this information to better market products and services to consumers.
This resulted in an outcry from users all around the world. Many people, including celebrities and other famous figures, threatened to delete their accounts, as it was the only way to opt out. Personally, as an Instagram user, I felt compelled to do the same. It felt like Instagram was throwing loyal users under the bus in order to make profits and didn’t care about user privacy.
Following the backlash, Instagram did some damage control and revised its Terms of Service. Your likeness could still be affiliated with advertisements, but it would only show up for users that are following you, and not to the public, thus reducing privacy violation. It also stated that you own your photos, and that privacy settings are still in place. You can read more about the new changes here.