crazyskillsbloginitiative

Well, the popular social networking site, which I have grown to enjoy within the last year, has changed its Terms Of Service.  Here’s the point of what has changed that I don’t know how I feel about…  Before Feb 4, 2009, once you terminated your account, so was terminated the TOS agreement including Facebook’s ability to use your images, messages, status updates - everything.  The way it is now, once something is posted to Facebook, they reserve the right to use it in part or in whole in any way they want, including licensing it to 3rd parties.

“You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.”

While this may not mean anything to some, it makes me think twice about using my Facebook account.  Do I really want them (facebook or a 3rd party) using a photo of me or my family / friends in advertisements?

What’s been removed is this: “If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however (sic) you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.” [foxnews.com]

So think about this next time someone sends you “25 Things” or a derivative.  What seems to be shared among friends is apparently not limited to them.  Certainly makes me wonder.