Article Summary:

Instagram has recently updated its terms of service for its photo sharing site. The new terms of service allow it to: “To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.” This gives the company the right to sell a user’s images, without them receiving any of the monies generated. Many commentators, including the Guardian, surmise that this is as a result of social media giant Facebook’s purchase of Instagram, and a need to monetize the business. Practically, it means that if you want any of your images to generate any revenue for you, you need to remove them from Instagram at present.