STOP copying and pasting that “copyright” Facebook post. It is pointless and you are wasting your time.
The annual ritual of everyone you know sharing a meaningless copyright disclaimer on Facebook has begun again. Recently, you might have seen several Facebook Statuses telling you post legal language that protects your photographs and other information from copyright violations.
Don’t waste your time. It doesn’t work, and similar versions of the hoax have been repeated for years.
Facebook users are reporting a recent surge in the posts that look similar to the following:
A reminder that anything that looks/sounds like this is nothing but fake so please stop posting it on Facebook: #PSA pic.twitter.com/c6LS94sByg
— Maddy Pryor (@maddyyypryor) September 28, 2015
The latest hoax claims Facebook is planning to charge a fee to keep your “private” data private. This is not true. If Facebook changes the terms of its relationship with you, its user/product, it is required to inform you so that you have the opportunity to decline the changes. Not by posting a Facebook, but by quitting the site.
This is not the first time this has happened. Typically, the notices all tend to sound the same with official-sounding jargon and legal references that users are unlikely to verify, following a demand that others post the same status on their own accounts. The claims have been thoroughly debunked.
In short, your legal rights are determined not by any status you post, but by the social network’s Terms of Service, which all users agreed to upon creating an account. Information about how Facebook uses your information is available there and in the network’s data policy.
If you are concerned about privacy, you can adjust your settings by tapping on “More” and “Privacy Shortcuts” in the mobile apps, or, on a desktop, clicking on the lock near the far right of the blue bar at the top of the screen.
