Do you need to post a status update with some legal gibberish on your Facebook wall to prevent the company from using your pictures, information, messages or posts? No, that's not true: what Facebook can do with your information is stipulated in the Terms of Use every Facebook user has to agree to in order to use the service. Unilaterally posting a message on your wall does not change anything about that.
Messages claiming you need to post some legal boilerplate text on your wall have been circulating online for years, a recent example can be found in this post (archived here) that had an image in it with following text:
I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future. With this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. 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 prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tacitly allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates. FACEBOOK DOES NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO SHARE PHOTOS OR MESSAGES
This is what the image looks like, but there are other variations:
Facebook's actual terms of service can be found here:
Terms of Service
3. The permissions you give us We need certain permissions from you to provide our services: Permission to use content you create and share: Some content that you share or upload, such as photos or videos, may be protected by intellectual property laws.
Messages like these have been circulating on Facebook for years with many of them imparting an extra sense of urgency, for example claiming there is some kind of deadline today or tomorrow to post the notice (without giving an exact date of course). But there is no change about to happen and there is no deadline. These kinds of messages are so old Facebook already put out a notice in 2012 to quell the rumor:
Facebook Newsroom
Copyright Meme Spreading on Facebook There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users' information or the content they post to the site. This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared.
It is also very questionable legal theory that you can change the terms of an agreement by unilaterally posting something on a website. If you believe that such things are possible, please read the text below and send me $100!
Lead Stories is a Colorado-based LLC or entity. By reading this website you agree to pay the sum of $100 to the author of this article. Copyright violations are punishable by law. Do not modify this notice and keep it away from open flames. This legal disclaimer contains traces of satire and/or sarcasm.
