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Instagram's 'Suicide Note,' As Users Are Calling A Recent Policy Change, Is Riling Users

Instagram's Policy Change Is Its 'Suicide Note,' Users Say
AP / The Huffington Post
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NEW YORK (AP) — Instagram, the popular photo-sharing service that Facebook bought this year, is the target of a storm of outrage on Twitter and other sites after a change in its user agreement hinted that it might use shared photos in ads.

It's not clear that anything substantive has changed in Instagram's new terms of service, which were posted Monday and go into effect Jan. 16. As is the case before, the service reserves the right to use shared photos in any matter it likes, though the photographers keep "ownership" of the photos.

The updated terms of service say users agree that their photos could be used "in connection with paid or sponsored content." The current terms say the service can place ads "on, about or in conjunction with your Content."

The fast-growing site is a popular way to share photos from cellphones. Facebook Inc. bought Instagram in September. The cash-and-stock deal was worth $1 billion when it was announced in April, though that fell to about $740 million by the time it was completed because of Facebook's falling stock price.

The updated terms suggests that Facebook wants to integrate Instagram into its ad-serving system, which can, for instance, promote an item by telling users that their friends "Like" it. The new terms make it clearer that Instagram could use your photos to market to your friends.

Some users, afraid that their photos will be used in advertising, have dubbed the new terms of service "Instagram's suicide note," as pointed out by the blog Gawker.

Instagram announced the change in a blog post, but didn't explain its intentions. It said a concurrent change to the privacy policy, a separate document, would help Instagram function more easily as part of Facebook.

Twitter users were vowing to cancel their Instagram accounts in response to the policy change, complaining that the new terms would essentially let the service sell people's photos for ads.

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Before You Go

Instagram No-Nos
Hey! That's Mine(01 of11)
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One of the app's ultimate sins? Copycating. Make your own content and respect your fellow Instagrammers. It's not polite (or entirely legal) to take a screen shot of another person's photo, change the filter, and pretend like it's your own. (credit:AP)
Avoid The Cliche(02 of11)
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There are things you're going to want to snap a picture of -- cats, the shoes on your feet, greasy food, an artsy shot of nothing, etc. -- but beware of falling into an Instagram cliche. Followers don't mind these pictures every once in awhile, but give your fans something new to keep them coming back for more. (credit:Getty)
We Don't Want To See That(03 of11)
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Some pictures are best left unposted. You would think this would go without saying, but unfortunately it must be mentioned. Drugs, porn, pictures of you on the toilet, pictures of your "friends" on the toilet, a broken toenail: These are all perfect examples of what followers just don't want to see. (If we can't see it, then it's not real. So please don't let us see it.) (credit:Getty)
Beware The Rapid Fire(04 of11)
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It's totally fine to take several photos and upload them to Instagram the same day. You're crossing a line, however, when you don't use Instagram for a week and suddenly spam your followers with 14 uploads in a matter of six minutes. (credit:Getty)
#ThatsAnnoying(05 of11)
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Hashtags help Instagramers categorize pictures, or are used ironically much like on Twitter. For example, if you take a picture of the Statue of Liberty, a proper hashtag might be #nyc. But drowning a photo in irrelevant hashtags will only frustrate viewers. There is such a thing as #toomuch. (credit:Getty)
Show A Little 'Selfie' Control(06 of11)
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Pictures you take of yourself might be fine, but too many "selfie" shots annoy followers. Who wants to see three or four Instagrams of a face in different positions? Refrain from taking MySpace pictures and flip that camera around on someone else occasionally. (credit:Getty)
Be My Friend(07 of11)
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It's okay to want more followers on your social media sites, but isn't it a little desperate to type "please follow me!" in the comments box of pictures and throughout your "About Me" section? Create great content, regularly participate with other users, and you are guaranteed to earn followers without begging for them. (credit:Getty)
Baby Overload(08 of11)
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Your children are adorable, and who wouldn't love that dog always featured on your Instagram? But similar to selfie shots, these objects of your affection may begin to grow old for your friends... particularly if you upload 16 photos of little Sue daily. Sometimes one picture says it all. (credit:Getty)
Like, Like, Follow, Unfollow(09 of11)
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If you "like" a photo, then it's assumed you found that picture to be aesthetically pleasing. What is not assumed is that you expected a "like" or a "follow" in return. And don't even think about unfollowing someone because they didn't follow you back. This sort of middle school behavior is not appreciated. "Like" worthy pictures for the sake of liking them. (credit:AP)
Don't Draw Something(10 of11)
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Your followers want to see your beautiful or surprising photos. What they don't want to see is something that won't make sense to them, like an inside joke that you drew about a donkey and a pancake. In this case, it's best to just keep your doodles to yourself. (credit:Getty)
The Catch-All Rule(11 of11)
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Here are Instagram words to live by: Document life, show off your quirky moments, and tell a vibrant, filter-filled story. Post those pics you're proud of, and your followers will probably "like" them, too.
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