I’m would consider myself an iPhoneographer like many these days. I love being able to capture a moment without having to lug around my large DSLR. Since I have owned an iPhone, Instagram has been a staple on most of the photos I have taken over the years. Today, they stopped me dead in my tracks from shooting any more images through their app. From a report found on USA Today, they released an update to their terms of service.
The terms clearly state that Instagram has the right to sell your images to businesses:
“A business or other entity may pay” Instagram to display users’ photos and other details “in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”
Chase Jarvis has a great explanation and thought on this too.
The best way I can argue the point to delete the app from your phone and close your account with Instagram is to think about the safety and privacy of your children. While my wife and I don’t have children yet, I know that a lot of parents are very guarded of their family, and know that when we do have a family of our own, a lot of the social media populous that exists will most likely be removed from our daily lives.
And, if the companies like Google, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, etc. go down this road over the years, I won’t be surprised if they will be part of the history books. As a note to the companies above, be mindful of your users and what the internet and your application has allowed others to benefit from. For the most part, we’re not out there to make money off of your service, we’re looking to keep in touch with our friends who live worldwide.