The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
There’s nothing much worse than having your privacy violated and feeling as if there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s a horrible, helpless feeling that we are experiencing more and more in this country as big government continually figures out new ways to spend incredible amounts of time and money snooping on and monitoring the behavior of law-abiding citizens.
And that’s why I was pretty excited about a recent news story involving popular photo-sharing application Instagram. If you’re not familiar with them, perhaps your kids are. The company, which was purchased by Facebook for $1 billion in April 2012, made news recently by announcing proposed changes in its terms of service (TOS), leading users to believe that photos they posted to the Instagram site could be used by advertisers without their permission.
The exact wording of the proposed TOS changes included, “To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”
Following an immediate public outcry, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom backpedaled, writing in a blog post that, “Instagram never had any intention of selling users’ photos.” No, of course not. How could Instagram users possibly have gotten that idea?!?!
You can read the whole story in this article, “Instagram Does a Complete 180 on its Terms of Service After Privacy Concerns Arise,”
A company reversing its stance to save face is nothing new. What I like about this story is that people stood up for their privacy rights and won the battle. Had they remained silent, they would have lost. It’s an important lesson to all of us that we shouldn’t let our privacy rights be taken away without a fight.
I’d be interested in hearing what you think about this news story in particular and what we should do to about current and future privacy rights violations in general. Thanks in advance for responding.
The message from Instagram’s big kid on the block doesn’t mean squat. The legal notice the company put out prior would still apply and allow them to do as stated anyway now or at a later date when no one is watching. And the users have ultimately agreed to the terms (and invasion of privacy and loss of rights and freedoms) by what ever means Instagram used to change and implement the policy. And foolish people (and writers) think just because they screamed and the big kid said we don’t intend (at that moment) to use it, they all kissed and made up and the sun is shining and the birds are singing and everything is wonderful. Nothing has been changed in the actual policy or the intent of the policy. Contrary to the big kid’s statement, if they didn’t intend to use it, why change the policy and give official notice of its change and implementation in the first place?????
You have got to love it, Kevin is going to make a great politician someday. His backpedal: ‘“Instagram never had any intention of selling users’ photos.”
Oh, so he has no intentions of using the photos members upload…but the full TOS included, “To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”
Does that mean “we won’t use the photos you upload…but as for all the rest {username, likeness, associated metadata and actions users perform on the site} will be used? Sounds like double-speak to me.
Oh since we’re on the Facebook thing, you might want to find out why Experian has been front loading Facebook for some time with “targeted” user data….makes you wonder, doesn’t it.
It always amazed me that people include family members, friends and co-workers in their “groups”, not realizing that they were also making them targets. When I learned about the Big 3 credit bureaus investing in social media…well, who’s fooling who here.
I served in Germany 1947 to 50 Hitler would have had a field day with the infomation Facebook obtained. He could have picked off not only one family which he did continuously but all relations also. I don’t trust anyone asking me to like Facebook ! What is there to like ? You know the Communist corral all the people then lock the Gate ! Read my book The kingdom Of Heaven when I finish it. Much of it has been stolen under my nose while typing it. This is country we live under the Constitution our Forefathers drafted and it is a good one, ! we the people are the Government now and you all better get that in your head. Wht exist in Washington is not our Constitutional Government. It is a bunch of Hoodlums trying to Highjack our country. Almost every move they make is Treason ! From the President on down ! Wake up America ! We the people have to do the job Washington won’t do!
Bravo! You could not be more right!
To:Don
well said ! I agree 120%
I have always thought that a Government position from local to Federal level should be a dollar a year job plus room and board of course. They should also only be allowed to hold an office for one term. I believe this will attract the people who really want to make a difference.
I agree. And their pay checks after leaving office should come to an end, also. Think of the $$$ that would be saved!
P. Cytulik is right on. Term limits for all public “servants” would eliminate most of the problems that have been plaguing this country. It’s just human nature. If you treat a human being like a king or queen for long enough, they will start to believe they are. The only way to do this is to clean house in Government at the voting booth. Not just at the national level, but at the state and local levels also. Vote against the incumbent, but insist the new kid on the block make his/her first priority voting for term limits. If they really want to help their country, then they can be ie. a council person in their city for one term and a federal congress person for one term. That’s it! No more! Back to their businesses or job. I do not think our forefathers had ever envisioned the concept of a career politician, and I believe they had a much better grasp on true freedom than any of our “representatives” today. So what do we do? Vote in every election. Vote for the new kid that wants to make this country better and who will propose and pass term limits. Don’t wait until the general elections. That will be too late. The establishment will have already selected who they want by then. And for those that fear these new people will not have the experience to deal with all the issues, I say that a group of dedicated people will focus on the pressing issues that determine the future of our country and communities and carry them through to conclusion. They will not have time to be distracted by the greed and special interests who have infiltrated our government in the past.
It’s not 2nd Corinthians 7: 14, it’s 2nd Chronicles 7: 14.
The only thing that really going to help us besides our activism against this evil Dictatorship (controlled by George Soros) is the following: Read 2 Corinthians 7:14 and let’s all of us get busy complying with that verse’s advice.
If we don’t have anything bad to hide we shouldn’t worry. How do you think the found the guys that bombed the people at Boston’s marathon.Every one bitching about the cameras watching us. They ID them very quickly. otherwise they would have gotton away.
Are you for real???? don’t you know that the bombing was a false flag operation done by our own Govt? how do you suppose that the authorities just happened to be in the vicinity when the bombs went off? My God, get your head out of your ass and wake up as to what the hell is going on!!!
Your nuts the fourth amendment to the constitution specifies the government cannot search without probable cause and then only by court order. Just because you are law abiding isn’t the issue. Your mentality is what allowed the US government to round up Americans from Japanese dissent after bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their rights were violated under the constitution. Federal government is supposed to get their power from the states not the other way around.
Mr. Walker I believe you meant to use is DESCENT not DISSENT. Dissent means to disagree but other than that I do agree with what you were saying about the injustice that was done to those people. And what makes it even worse is that many of the young men volunteered to fight in spite of the way we treated them. The 442nd was the most decorated unit in WWII and it was known as the Neisei Battalion due to it being almost entirely Japanese.
Don…. perhaps you should read 1984 again. Or maybe read it for a 1st time.
Maybe he read 1984 and thought it was a treatise on how things should be rather than a warning about what we were headed for!
I agree with all of you who are seeing the truth of our great nation collapsing very quickly right from under the American people,We the people from our constitution don’t matter any more and our constitutional right’s are being eroded out of existence. I highly suggest acquiring the DVD AGENDA by Senator Representative Curtis Bowers from Idaho that researched into the Congressional Library and did a documentary on how” their” agenda has came about and has been progressively eroding America. You can go to amazon .com and order the DVD Agenda to see for yourself how this has all come about today,It’s simple just follow history to currently what’s going on today-truthfully it’s quite an eye opener.I’d be interested in you input on this serious matter that effects everyone of us in America.
Just goes to show that we all need to read the fine print.
In reading the comments it would seem that the people dont seem to understand how all this wire tapping etc came about.All this shooping was a result of the Patriot Act that G W Bushh initiated. For the people unfamilir with thr Patriot Act it basically did away with the Bill Of Rights of the constitution. You Cant really blame Obama he is just using what Bush put in force.Un fortunately once that was put into place it will NEVER be corrected.
Bush did indeed implement the Patriot act. Mr. Obama said he was going to abolish it. What did he do? He magnified it 10 fold. There is so much more in there now than was ever intended by Mr. Bush. So, quit blaming Mr. Bush for Mr. Obama’s lies. Damn, do you think he is God or something?
Yes, that’s true. When the Patriot Act was first enacted, there was a lot of concern that we would be trading freedom for a little bit of security, but at first the scope was very limited. It has been greatly expanded during the Obama administration.
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Always and everywhere.
the government things like most criminal think that if they don’t get caught then its not a crime.
we the people have that right to take that ability away from them we need to stand up and do it ,but most lay down and roll over scratch their bellies and they’re satisfied with what’s going on .Why let it happen here? Men have fought and died for our freedoms. Do we cannot let our brothers our fathers and friends die in vain for our freedoms that have been taken away without a fight .For but by the greed of man things are lost freedom taken away .
I REALIZE THAT THERE IS A GREAT UPRISING IN THIS COUNTRY (FINALLY) ABOUT ONE’S PRIVACY…WHY NOW???WHERE THE HECK WERE THESE SAME PEOPLE DURING J. EDGAR HOOVER DAYS???DOES NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE KNOW THERE HISTORY??? HOOVER DEVELOPED THE VERY IDEA OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT OF PRESIDENT ROSELVELT??WE THE PEOPLE(including me) HAVE BEEN HANDING OVER OUR SECRETS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SS #…CHECK AND SEE IF YOU DARE TO SEE IDF YOU HAVE AND F.B.I # OR FILE…I BET YOU WILL BE SUPRISED TO FIND OUT YOU HAVE ONE…THE QUESTION NOW IS HOW DO WE STOP THIS MADNESS OUR GOVERNMENT LEADERS HAVE DEVELPOED OF THE LAST CENTURY???THIS IS AN APPROXIMATE 100 YEAR PROBLEM…IT WILL TAKE JUST AS MUCH TIME TO END UNLESS WE THE PEOPLE PUT A STOP TO THE CRONNIES IN WASHINGTON AND THEIR PLANS OF CONTROL
I know the FBI and NSA have files on me. The KGB used to have a file, but I am not sure if it is still around under their new name.
This government is totally out of control.
We need to impeach that one sitting in the white house.
It’s not just the ring leader that needs to go. All of the true power is in the halls of Congress. The lifelong career politicians in The House and Senate need to be curbed too. Vote them out and insist to your new congress people that all politicians need to be subject to a limit of two terms in government, and may not switch parties, or move from The House to the Senate, to bypass the limit. That is the first step to restoring power to the People.
In addition to your thoughts, the gravy train to retirement needs to be eliminated. These people may not be rich when they enter office but they are before they leave! Just sayin’
Until we ALL take a stand this sharing will take over all of our privacy that we have left. The govt machine is hell bent on spying on innocent People. We the People have rights to our privacy called the constitution. This administration has gone so far and so fast! They are ramping up drones and spy networks as we speak. They are reading everything we write private or otherwise. The internet is contaminated. The government has contaminated it. Just like the oceans and the fields they are steaing via monsanto. We the people need to have congressmen and woman who speak FOR us not against us. I have never seen anything like this in my life where fraud and lies prevail and innocence is stolen and tainted. We the people need to stand behind our constitution before bloomberg steals that too along with all the homes the banks are stealing illegally. I think its called grand theft and treason against the people. God bless those whom are worthy and for the rest, may the Devil get his full dues! Dee
What we see here is a long term historical trend. You are photographed by surveillance cameras everywhere you go. Your license plate is scanned and used to enter a database about you whenever you pass certain points, or whenever a scanner equipped police car passes by. Your phone calls, text messages, and emails are subject to warrantless monitoring. Your car computer records your speed and your use of brakes, lights, signals, seat belt, horn, steering, and all other car controls, and that record can be recovered by police if there is an accident. Your cell phone can be used to track your travels. Facebook? Ha ha, that is a tool designed for the U.S.Department of Homeland Security to track your friends, determine your politics, identify any vulnerabilities, and put you into their power so they can render you.
Forget the Bill of Rights; it has been interpreted out of existence. The 8th amendment does not trump the requirement to fill out tax forms!
May god bless and grant long life and prosperity to the Homeland Security agents who are reading this posting. There dedication is saving us from the possible consequences of
liberty.
Do you know that the carbon foot print is larger to make a solar panel than a solar panel saves in it’s lifetime? So I would like to know if you are someone who is trying to be off the grid or are you doing this to be green?