Facebook's terms-of-service U-turn
What happens now to personal pictures and videos after you leave Facebook
“That was quick,” said Adam Ostrow in Mashable. Yesterday, Facebook was trying to soothe users who feared that changes to the social networking site’s rules meant it could do whatever it wanted with customers’ photos and videos, even after they stopped using the site. Now, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says in a blog post that Facebook will revert to the old rules. “Smart move.”
“Phew,” said Ben Popken in The Consumerist, “now we can all go back to sending each other digital cupcakes without Big Brother watching us.” Zuckerberg’s earlier promise that Facebook wouldn’t share anybody’s information in ways they wouldn’t want was soothing, but that “benign” philosophy wasn’t reflected in the legal language. “It's good to see it now will be.”
Don’t be fooled by Facebook’s “back flip,” said Duncan Riley in The Inquisitr. The protests forced Facebook to give in, but this isn't the "user victory" many people think it is. Facebook is promising it won't resell your content if you leave the site, but "the crux of the problem remains," because Facebook still says it has the right to do what it wants with your information.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Dianaworld: the 'cultural phenomenon' behind the People's Princess
The Week Recommends 'Very fine' book examines the cultural groups who once admired her, and the legacy she left behind
-
Earth roasts on 'Hot Ones: Climate Edition' | May 15 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Thursday's editorial cartoons feature trickle-down economics, Pope Leo XIV's music choice, MAGA's reaction to the 'woke Pope', Donald Trump's Amazon wishlist, and the job market for 2025 college graduates.
-
Thawing permafrost unleashes toxic legacy of mining
Under the Radar Rising temperatures could release huge levels of toxic materials from sealed-off mines into waterways