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Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) Lays Viral Privacy Policy Hoax to Rest

Mvusi Ngubane

Facebook Inc  has put speculations around its privacy policy to rest. The social network recently had an old rumor run rampant on its platform again. The resurfaced hoax suggests the online entity will be able to claim ownership over the uploads of its users if they do not post a disclaimer stating otherwise.

Facebook Inc NASDAQ:FB Hoax

Facebook Hoax Goes Viral

“In response to new Facebook guidelines, I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention). For the commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times.”

The above extract shows the hoax in its most common form. Posts tend to vary between users. However, they all carry one specific message: ‘ Facebook, don’t claim my uploads as your own’. Some versions of the message encourages users to pay a small fee in order to keep their content.

Setting the Record Straight

The misleading trend has been gaining momentum. It encourages users who wish to be “protected by copyright laws” to copy and paste the message onto their own feeds. Many users with concerns that Facebook will own their photos and other uploads have been riled into protesting against a non-existent policy.

We wanted to take a moment to remind you of the facts,” said Facebook’s Andrew Noyes. “When you post things like photos to Facebook, we do not own them.”

But the firm is well within its rights to use user content for promotional purposes depending on their settings. Facebook simply does not own it, is all. “Under our terms, you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute and share the things you post,” Noyes adds, “subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings.”

This latest prank rides on the growing concerns surrounding corporate entities misusing user data. The hoax has been around for some time now. It only recently caught the attention of Facebook Inc officials, who saw it fitting to set the record straight once and for all.

“And the thing about copying and pasting a legal notice is just a hoax. Stay safe out there Earthlings.” Facebook posts.

Facebook Inc Already Has All it Needs From You

Adding insult to unnecessary injury, even if the policy warning were not a hoax, one could not negate copyright and privacy policies via a status update, Snopes pointed out. Facebook already has all it needs from its users to thrive. In most cases, the social network does not need to own user content in order to use it.

When you agree to the firm’s terms of use, you essentially give Facebook a “non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any content you post”, writes attorney Brad Shear.

The circulating hoax has been a reoccurring plague on the social network. A similar trend began in June this year. It has been the same in previous years, too. Facebook users are reminded that there is no need to post disclaimers of any kind. It is merely a viral prank.

Facebook writes: “While there may be water on Mars, don’t believe everything you read on the internet today. Facebook is free and it always will be.”

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