Facebook changes its terms and conditions

Has facebook created it's own downfall by getting too greedy? Before you read this understand i'm not personally opposed to facebook. I don't like some of it's terms and conditions but on the whole it's a positive thing.

For those who aren't aware facebook is a social networking site that is very popular (yes I'm a member) millions of people regularly use it to keep in touch and store images etc.

The problem many people (photographers especially) have with facebook is that they claim (yet to be legally challenged) that they own the right to everything that anyone uploads onto their website. Now if you're a photographer and someone uploads an image that means that facebook now owns all rights to reproduce it. For the majority of people they don't see it as a problem. However what they don't realise is, if for some reason they are thrust into the public limelight, lottery winner, X factor or maybe on a murder charge, facebook will sell every image and every word you ever wrote to the highest bidder.

How many people would want their drunken stag/hen night pictures on the front page of a news paper? That's exactly what is happening to everyday people and facebook are earning the money from it.

Recently facebook tried to change their terms and conditions to say that even if you left the group they still had the rights to all of your stuff. What happened was some eagle eyed bloggers noticed the change and began informing the world. Very quickly facebook realised they could be in trouble and issued statements trying to explain their stance. Two days after the managing director withdrew the changes and reinstated the old terms claiming they were reviewing their stance.

Have they left it too late? What they need to realise is nobody owns a social network, they are just entrusted by their members with it. If they try and enforce rules and regulations onto it they will leave in their millions as people did with myspace. The internet has changed the world and now more than ever before the customer is king.

Here's a group against facebook selling your images join up if you feel that what they are doing is wrong, send them a message that their customers aren't happy.