It’s a hoax folks. Just a hoax.
Did you wake up concerned this morning at your Facebook feed filled with status posts about privacy setting and changes to Facebook?
The status claims that by copying and pasting the short post in legalese about your privacy settings on Facebook, you will make the photos and videos you’ve posted private.
But it’s just a hoax – and not even a new one.
Did it throw your brain into a tail spin as you contemplated whether if you don’t post it you risk allowing Facebook total control over those images of your kids and gourmet breakfasts we have dined on.
The post looks something like this:
It claims by posting it the privacy and confidentiality of the account will be protected.
A second post doing the rounds says:
“Now it’s official! It has been published in the media. Facebook has just released the entry price: £5.99 ($9.10) to keep the subscription of your status to be set to “private.” If you paste this message on your page, it will be offered free (I said paste not share) if not tomorrow, all your posts can become public. Even the messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. After all, it does not cost anything for a simple copy and paste.”
Facebook has addressed the two hoax posts saying they are false.
“Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been.”
Facebook referred users to its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities: “You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.”
“For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License).”
The IP license ends when you delete your IP content or your account, Facebook stated. If a user chooses to delete IP content, it’s deleted in a manner “similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer.”
Snopes.com addressed the rumours in a blog post .
“The claim that Facebook would be initiating user charges was but the bait to lure people to [a] protest page and its hidden malicious payload; there are no plans afoot to require payment from those who use the site,” Snopes reported.”
So go ahead and upload that photo of your coffee feeling safe and secure. It’s all yours.
Phew!