Reaction to Instagram’s announcement Monday that it reserves the right to incorporate users’ photos and likenesses into ads, similar to Facebook’s sponsored stories, was swift and furious on Facebook, with many users posting about quitting the photo-sharing application, and even some possible dissent within the Zuckerberg family.
After the rejection of its original settlement proposal in a lawsuit over the use of users’ images in sponsored stories by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Seeborg in August, the social network filed an amended settlement Friday, in which affected users will actually receive some of the funds, albeit not much.
Hacking has both bad and good connotations when it comes to Facebook, but what about if Facebook users hack their own accounts, with humorous results?
Facebook likes are not the only element that should be considered by brands using the social network for marketing purposes, but they still mark the entry point for user interaction, and Facebook is taking steps to automatically remove questionable likes.
It seems like on a weekly basis, Facebook rolls out a new feature that prompts users to accuse the site of playing a 21st-century Big Brother. However, an attorney-turned-tech entrepreneur feels that Facebook is actually one of the better social media sites, in terms of respecting users’ rights. Andrew Nicol recently launched Clickwrapped, a comparison of the terms of service and privacy policies on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Wikipedia and Twitter. Of the 15 sites Clickwrapped studied, Facebook was ranked fourth.
Should Facebook warn owners of profiles that violate its terms of service, such as those without users’ real names, before deleting them? Several “cosplay” enthusiasts who woke up Tuesday morning to find that their profiles on the social network had vanished think so.
Memes — photos with funny (and sometimes offensive) captions — often spread through Facebook like wildfire. But Australians aren’t laughing at the Facebook page of Aboriginal Memes, which the social network recently shut down amidst claims of racism. However, a copycat page has already opened and is gaining popularity.
While Facebook pages paying tribute to James Holmes — the alleged shooter in the attacks in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., last week during the premiere showing of The Dark Knight Rises — may violate all standards of common decency, they apparently do not violate Facebook’s terms of service.
Having trouble understanding Facebook’s terms of service? This hilarious translation will help.
Yesterday morning Facebook announced changes to their Site Governance documents which as a number of people pointed out removed the ability of users to profit from their status updates. More specifically Facebook states that “you will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain”. While I’m assuming that this is supposed to be straight forward about selling things through your Facebook profile, part of me wonders why Facebook needed to make this explicit statement.
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