CLEVELAND (WJW) — A viral post on Facebook is offering a daunting message for social media users: “The new Facebook/Meta rule starts tomorrow where they can use your photos.”
Nexstar’s WJW reached out to Facebook directly and found that no such rule has been introduced.
“People can continue to control their privacy preferences using the many user friendly self-serve tools we provide on Facebook, such as Privacy Checkup, and learn more about how we use and protect data in our Data Policy,” a Facebook representative said in an email.
So if you see the spam post – which, like any good chain mail hoax, claims you have to act now or face the consequences – feel free to ignore it. You don’t have to copy and paste the long message instructing the social media platform to “use” your photos.
Meta, the newly announced parent company of Facebook, continues to play whack-a-mole with misinformation shared on its suite of sites, especially during the pandemic.
Posts like this one actually date all the way back to 2012, but have regained steam in recent days. And while the privacy settings Facebook suggests are helpful in letting fewer people view your page’s contents, by having a Facebook or Instagram account, you are agreeing to let the company mine your information.
As seen on the platforms’ data policy page: “We collect the content, communications and other information you provide when you use our Products, including when you sign up for an account, create or share content, and message or communicate with others.”
No amount of posting “I’m not giving Facebook/Meta permission to share my information posted on their website” is going to change the platform using your info in some capacity.