Instagram: We're Not Going to Sell Your Photos

Company says it will clear up language that prompted outrage
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 18, 2012 5:25 PM CST
Instagram: We're Not Going to Sell Your Photos
Instagram is used on an iPhone in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Karly Domb Sadof)

Looks like Instagram fans can call off the revolt: The company has no plans, and never did, to sell users' photos or let advertisers put them in ads, reports TheNextWeb. Co-founder Kevin Systrom wrote a blog post to clear up confusion about upcoming updates to Instagram's terms-of-service agreement: "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."

At AllThingsD, Kara Swisher attributes the mess to confusing legal jargon. "In other words, blame the lawyers for writing something that is too difficult for hobbyist photographers to understand." And at Slate, Will Oremus notes that the language in question is nearly identical at YouTube and Twitter. The new policy still deserves scrutiny, he adds, but today's "freakout" was unwarranted. Read the full post here. (More Instagram stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X