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The Facebook Privacy Hoax is at it Again

The Facebook Privacy Hoax is at it Again

Jonathan Benito

The social media giant is once again plagued by unfounded reports about privacy issues that would make public all of a user's private posts if it doesn't pay a certain amount. Frightened netizens re-posted the old copyright warning that you can copy and paste to your wall in order to prevent Facebook from doing so. Not surprisingly enough, these reports are all but a hoax and pasting the long-winded permission statement actually does nothing, legally speaking.

Netizens are surprisingly easy to spook, and with vague sources like Channel 13 or Channel 11, it's enough for them to take action. This was not the first time these statements have flooded your wall, it has occured previously in 2012 and has the same hazy beginnings. The message has been shared so many times, it's virtually impossible to track down the original.

As Snopes.com previously reported, posting the said content is an ineffective solution as Facebook does not claim ownership of any user's post and that you can't negate any of the privacy or copyright terms you agreed to when you first signed up by just posting something. If you don't agree with the privacy terms, you can either cancel your account, lobby for a change in the site governance section or bilaterally negotiate with Facebook regarding a modified policy. Rest assured, any major changes in its privacy policy would prompt the user to agree to it.

The real news that users should be focusing on is the new update that would allow users to change their profile pictures into a looping video clip. Facebook did mention on their blog post that you can't use .gifs (yet). The temporary filters will also be a permanent feature in Facebook after its successful Celebrate Pride filter used by 26 million users. This time, it will allow you to set a time limit for the temporary filter and will automatically revert to your original profile pic once the timer runs out.

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