Instagram logo


Photo by Grouperly



After Facebook purchased Instagram earlier this year, users were counting down the days until changes were made to the photo-sharing platform. The count is over and it only took three months! Instagram issued new additions to its policy, and they were met with criticism from their die-hard, photo-filtering-frenzied users.

New Instagram policy


Earlier today,
CNET wrote
, “If you use something for free, you are the product for sale.” The new Instagram policy raised serious privacy and intellectual property questions from around the globe. On Monday, December 17, 
Instagram originally said
 it had the right to sell or license all public photos to third parties unless Instagram users delete their accounts before January 16.

Well, the social media community is not a silent bystander. Personal and professional friends of mine took to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google+ to declare their frustration. “Typical Facebook,” one said. “Social media suicide,” said another. Among all the criticism, it appears Instagram has listened.

Instagram clarification


Updated at 2:50 p.m.,
Instagram issued a clarification
on their blog. Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, wrote the company will “remove” confusing language. His clarification:

“Advertising on Instagram: … Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear…

Ownership Rights: Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed. We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period…

Privacy Settings: Nothing has changed about the control you have over who can see your photos. If you set your photos to private, Instagram only shares your photos with the people you’ve approved to follow you…”


Other online photo-sharing platforms are using this opportunity to lure Instagram users their way. In just six months, Instagram grew from 900,000 people per day to around 7.3 million, 
according to ComScore
. Sites like Flickr and Blipfoto would be crazy not to gain Instagram’s loss.

What do you think? Is the clarification sincere or bologna? Is Facebook a major influence or will Instagram stand on its founding principles? We shall see …