No, Facebook doesn’t have a new rule that allows it to use people’s photos

After Facebook announced that it modified its title to “Meta,” a refurbished rumor surfaced that claims the corporate can freely use folks’s images and messages. 

“The brand new Fb/Meta rule begins tomorrow the place they will use your images. Do not forget the deadline is at this time! This may very well be utilized in lawsuits in opposition to you. All the pieces you’ve got ever posted is posted at this time – even messages which have been deleted. It does not price something, simply copy and publish, higher than regretting later,” the warning message begins.

The second half then instructs folks to publish a authorized discover telling Fb it isn’t allowed to make use of their content material: 

“Underneath UCC Regulation Sections 1-207, 1-308… I’m imposing my Reservation of Rights…I DO NOT ALLOW Fb/Meta or another Fb/Meta associated particular person to make use of my images, data, messages or messages, each up to now and sooner or later. This assertion I inform Fb/Meta that it’s strictly prohibited to reveal, copy, distribute or take another motion in opposition to me primarily based on this account and / or its contents. This account content material is non-public and confidential data. Violation of my private life could also be punished by legislation.”

We’ve seen these posts about faux social media guidelines earlier than, and this one is simply as unsuitable because the others that got here earlier than it.

The publish was flagged as a part of Fb’s efforts to fight potential false information and misinformation on its Information Feed. (Learn extra about our partnership with Facebook.)

There is no such thing as a such rule change and posting a discover barring Fb from implementing it doesn’t have any impact.

This on-line rumor first appeared in November 2012 when Fb began buying and selling publicly, and whereas the language is tweaked from earlier iterations, the message stays the identical: Submit this or else Fb has management of your content material.

However customers can not simply undo the privateness or copyright phrases they agreed to after they first signed up and made an account. As nicely, merely posting a discover won’t have any influence on new coverage modifications.

In the meantime, the corporate’s knowledge coverage and phrases of service haven’t modified. 

“The Fb firm is now Meta,” reads a disclaimer on the prime of the corporate’s terms of service page. “Whereas our firm title is altering, we’re persevering with to supply the identical merchandise, together with the Fb app from Meta. Our Information Coverage and Phrases of Service stay in impact, and this title change doesn’t have an effect on how we use or share knowledge.”

The web site provides: “You personal the mental property rights (issues like copyright or logos) in any such content material that you simply create and share on Fb and the opposite Fb Firm Merchandise you utilize. Nothing in these Phrases takes away the rights you must your individual content material. You’re free to share your content material with anybody else, wherever you need.”

Whereas customers personal the rights to their content material, they gave Fb license to do sure issues with that content material after they signed up and agreed to the corporate’s terms of service:

“Whenever you share, publish, or add content material that’s coated by mental property rights on or in reference to our Merchandise, you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, and worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly carry out or show, translate, and create spinoff works of your content material (constant along with your privateness and software settings).”

But it surely isn’t a lot standing updates or images that Fb is essentially desirous about, it’s data. Fb, in addition to different web sites, desires to know particulars like age, gender, marital standing and basic pursuits to assist it higher goal commercials to its customers.

Our ruling

Social media posts declare that Fb has a brand new rule that provides the corporate permission to make use of your images and that posting a discover in your web page will bar it from doing so. 

That is an outdated hoax. There is no such thing as a such rule change and posting a discover doesn’t override the corporate’s phrases of use that customers conform to after they join an account.

We fee it Pants on Fireplace!