[SIZE=3][B]New terms and conditions mean Instagram users are in danger of giving the Facebook-owned photo-based social media service commercial rights to their photos

[/B][SIZE=2]Are you a[SIZE=2]n Instagram us[SIZE=2]er? Well, the Net is suddenly full of advice on how to download your Instag[SIZE=2]ram[/SIZE] [SIZE=2]phot[SIZE=2]os and close your Instagram account. This [SIZE=2]is an angry respo[SIZE=2]nse to Instagram's [SIZE=2]proposed change to its te[SIZE=2]rms and conditions which basically means that you will eventually g[SIZE=2]ive Instagram c[SIZE=2]ommercial rights to [/SIZE][/SIZE]any [SIZE=2]photos you upload to[SIZE=2] its ser[SIZE=2]vice[SIZE=2]. And[SIZE=2] yo[SIZE=2]u won't [/SIZE][/SIZE]get [SIZE=2]any[SIZE=2]thing in return[SIZE=2]. The new T&Cs come into force on 16th Janu[SIZE=2]ary 2013.[/SIZE]

For the record, Instagram isn't claiming o[SIZE=2]wnership or exclusive rights to your photos, just right[SIZE=2]s so[SIZE=2] that the[SIZE=2]y can use your photos for the[SIZE=2]ir ow[SIZE=2]n commercial purposes. You won't have any say in what they do with your photos.[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]It's suggested that, to date, Faceboo[SIZE=2]k has [SIZE=2]not successfully made [/SIZE][/SIZE]Instagram make a profit. The [SIZE=2]proposed T&Cs change is c[SIZE=2]learly designed to make it eas[SIZE=2]ire for Instagram to make more money[SIZE=2].

[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]It could be argued that Ins[SIZE=2]tagram[SIZE=2], being a free ser[SIZE=2]vice, is simply askin[SIZE=2]g for a little something back. [SIZE=2]And the probabi[SIZE=2]lity of one of your photos b[SIZE=2]eing [SIZE=2]exploited[/SIZE] commercially b[SIZE=2]y Instagram is very[SIZE=2] small. But for many Instagram[SIZE=2]'s strat[SIZE=2]egy [SIZE=2]is akin to a self-serving legalisation of the right to steal their images.

[SIZE=2]Facebook bought Instagram[SIZE=2] 8 months ago[SIZE=2] fo[SIZE=2]r al[SIZE=2]most a billion [SIZE=2]dollars[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]. Inst[SIZE=2]agram was just two[SIZE=2] years old but had been very successful in developing a free [SIZE=2]social media network [SIZE=2]b[SIZE=2]ased around users' p[SIZE=2]hoto[SIZE=2]s[SIZE=2], mainly uploaded [SIZE=2]via smartphone and tablet apps that enabled you t[SIZE=2]o c[SIZE=2]apture and easily [SIZE=2]stylise your photos before uploadin[SIZE=2]g them to the Instagram network.

[SIZE=2]Recently ther[SIZE=2]e has been controvers[SIZE=2]y because an Instag[SIZE=2]ram service feature which enabled your photos to be easily displayed on Twit[SIZE=2]ter was withdrawn. Now some are suggesting th[SIZE=2]at [SIZE=2]I[SIZE=2]nstagram has [SIZE=2][SIZE=2]stepped[/SIZE] over the line with its [SIZE=2]photo[SIZE=2]-[/SIZE]rights grab and that the service could receive such a backlash that the fu[SIZE=2]ture of the service might be thrown in[SIZE=2]to doubt.

[SIZE=2]I feel very strongly about the preservation of rights to one's own photogra[SIZE=2]ph[SIZE=2]y and[SIZE=2] so I will also be closing my [SIZE=2]Instagram account today. Hopefully[SIZE=2], Facebook will sit up and take not[SIZE=2]ice of t[SIZE=2]he protests. [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]
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