Instagram to sell your photos

[Aggie93]

Instagram can now sell your photos for ads - Dec. 18, 2012

The new terms of use, effective January 16, are littered with changes throughout -- but the biggest changes came in the section about users' rights. "A business or other entity may pay" Instagram to display users' photos and other details "in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you."

Even minors are subject to the new terms: "If you are under the age of eighteen .... you represent that at least one of your parents or legal guardians has also agreed to this provision." Users can't opt out of the new provisions. The only way to avoid them is to delete your Instagram account altogether.

I have two daughters (11 and 13) that use Instagram all the time with with their friends. I'd hate to tell them to cancel, but really thinking about it.

Anyone know good alternatives?

[lane912]

if the service is free you are what is sold-

[widebody911]

[widebody911]

If something is free, you are the product.

[aigel]

I would instantly (no pun intended) cancel the service. Maybe people are learning from this? Or are they just going to go numb and don't give a sheet what happens to their information, including pictures? I bet 80% of the people will continue their memberships.

If you have pre-teens and teens, you should carefully weigh what you allow in terms of devices and services. Nobody has a smart phone in my family, including the kids. I am sure they think of me as a crusty old MOFO who doesn't let them have any fun, but events like this just reconfirm my stance. The older kids actually will understand if you explain ...

G

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by aigel

I would instantly (no pun intended) cancel the service. Maybe people are learning from this? Or are they just going to go numb and don't give a sheet what happens to their information, including pictures? I bet 80% of the people will continue their memberships.

80%? More like 99.80%

[onewhippedpuppy]

What is Instagram?

[porsche4life]

Guess I better stop posting all those dick pictures on there now....

[Randy W]

Instagram's licensing agreement with users has always allowed them to use any photo made for their own ads free of charge. Now they can sell them to others, and you don't receive anything for it... No compensation for sure, and photo credit is rarely used in ads. Glad I never signed up.

Alternatives include Nik Software and the latest versions of Photoshop. You have to pay for it, but you control your content and intellectual property that way.

[gprsh924]

The good news is that 99.9% of the pictures uploaded can hardly be called IP because no one would want to buy them in the first place.

I have an account. I won't cancel. I take pictures for my enjoyment. Never had the slightest inclination to commercialize. If I ever decide to, I won't let someone else take ownership.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Guess I better stop posting all those dick pictures on there now....

I didn't know they had a scanning electron microscope applet

[vash]

Originally Posted by widebody911

I didn't know they had a scanning electron microscope applet

i think it just interpolates the missing data..in this case, the actual penis.

[slakjaw]

Facebook claims rights to your photos as well. I only upload my snapshots to Instagram. 99.999% of what's on instagram is non salable because its ****ty.

If you go to a lady gaga concert and snap a photo, lady gaga owns the rights to it. It says so right on the ticket.

It is becoming more and more common these days.

[john70t]

Put a nearly invisible watermark across it ("property of", "not for resale", "do not alter").
Instagram will have all rights to the [pic+watermark] only.
You retain all rights to the [original pic], and all other versions I'd surmise.

[notmytarga]

But my daughter likes to instagram......



If most people had a picture 'published' they would be thrilled. Its the thrill of social media!

[BeyGon]

They have come out with "that was a mistake" and aren't going to do it.

[Randy W]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

They have come out with "that was a mistake" and aren't going to do it.

I hope thats remains the case.

It certainly was disturbing to me to see the trend taken that far.

The new terms for Instagram that were reported made it a "sub-licensable" agreement. Instagram would be able to sell your photos to third parties without notification, credit or compensation to you. No one would ever know its your photo in the ad, including you because you probably would never see it. Your Instagram photos would be commercialised, whether you are inclined to that kind of use or not.

It would be just more bad news for the many commercial photographers who have already seen photography devalued to point where it is now virtually impossible to make a living at it.

[widebody911]

[Aggie93]

Originally Posted by Aggie93

Even minors are subject to the new terms: "If you are under the age of eighteen .... you represent that at least one of your parents or legal guardians has also agreed to this provision." Users can't opt out of the new provisions. The only way to avoid them is to delete your Instagram account altogether. [/I]

I have two daughters (11 and 13) that use Instagram all the time with with their friends. I'd hate to tell them to cancel, but really thinking about it.

Anyone know good alternatives?

When i started the thread I was more concerned about some third party have access to pictures of my kids and their friends with whatever data is stored on the picture. Since they just use iTouch now, there is no geocodes, but their friends have smartphones.

This kind of information led to John McAfee getting caught. I don't want to compromise the safety of my children and their friends. I could care less that I wouldn't be getting paid for a snapshot.

They have their accounts marked private and I thought that was enough. Now I wonder if it is.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Aggie93

Even minors are subject to the new terms: "If you are under the age of eighteen .... you represent that at least one of your parents or legal guardians has also agreed to this provision." Users can't opt out of the new provisions.

This brings up some interesting legal points, which could affect the whole of the internet:
1). Minors can't sign off on any "unpaid-photographer" release form.
Where companies get this idea is pure fabrication.

2). Minors can't sign off on "self-tracking" consent.
By default, most smartphones/etc. automatically attach .exif location metadata to photographs.

So, either those companies have to get rid of using others photos and storing data, or there would need to be age verification used to access the internet...making all usage (even more) trackable by even more private entities.