On December 19, 2012, photo-sharing site #Instagram made it clear that it is never its intention to sell users? photos after rumors erupted that it will soon be making money off sales of user photos following its takeover by social media giant Facebook.
Netizens were outraged after realizing that the photo-sharing service had adjusted its terms of service, which made it look as if it had the right to sell images uploaded by online users to advertising agencies.
Instagram stated, ?To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos.?
The website used a language that was quite unfamiliar to several online users, leading to the misunderstanding.
The language was triggered by its recent terms of service update. The objective of Instagram was to work with different kinds of advertising so that online users no longer have to deal with advertisements and visual distractions while using the website.
Instagram further explained that they only intended for users to improve their online experience, as well as open more opportunities for business.
Instagram made an official announcement?on its website to debunk the rumors. Here's an excerpt.
