Facebook’s photo-sharing site Instagram has updated its privacy policy giving it the right to sell users’ photos to advertisers without notification. Unless users delete their Instagram accounts by a deadline of 16 January, they cannot opt out. The move riled social media users, with one likening it to a “suicide note”. Most users have fiercely reacted to the possibility of the company selling their pictures, with many of them leaving the service. [1]

But let us consider carefully the true reasons begind that…

Why would most people reach to someone selling their pictures? Well, many reasons must be accounted for:

• Arrogance: They think they have so good pictures that Instagram will immediately make profit out of them.
• Ignorance: All pictures are used by other users in the Internet. Believing that your online posted photo is not used by others because you said so is just… stupid.
• Greed: Most of them think that they can really get money out of that. Why let another company sell them?
• Shree stupidity: If Instagram wants to do that, then so can I, can’t I?

Well, that is what happens when people are not educated about the tools they use. If someone thinks he can sell his photos and make a good profit, he can do it. But again you see, the Internet is FREE ONLY FOR US (or… US?). The Internet is “free” only for us to download movies or pictures or large essays (e.g. Harmonia Philosophica multi-page articles) from other sites. No one said that we accept it being free related to the use of OUR pictures!

YES!

THESE PICTURES ARE MINE!

YES!

I WILL MAKE MONEY!

I WILL BE RICH!

He he he he…