Late last week, Facebook users may have been seeing some of their contacts posting something like this:
...Better to be safe than sorry.An attorney advised us to post this. Good enough for me. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308-1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute). NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you do not publish a statement at least once, it will be tacitly understood that you are allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in your profile status updates. I HEREBY STATE THAT I DO NOT GIVE MY PERMISSION.
For those who may not be familiar with “Facebook privacy” hoaxes, posts like this would seem fresh and legit when in fact, the first round of such hoax posts have surfaced (and have been resurfacing) since 2012. Facebook then has issued a statement claiming that rumors of its ownership over user information, photos, and other content are false.
Facebook’s terms assert that no one but the users own their information and the content they post. Users also are the only ones in control of their information and content, which includes (but are not limited to) how such content is shared within the social network. It is important to note that the rules governing “Public” and “Private” accounts are different.
Although hoaxes are generally benign, it always has the tendency to cause panic or uneasiness on the part of Internet users, which further fuels the distribution of these false content. It is best for users to make an effort to be aware of potential dangers, benign on not, that they may encounter while hanging out with friends on Facebook.
Other references:
Coverage of Facebook hoax(es) on The Malwarebytes Labs:
