Instagram Has the Right to Sell Your Photos?

The photo sharing app, Instagram, owned by Facebook said today that starting on Jan. 16, 2013 it will have the right to sell users’ photos without their knowledge and permission.

Only three months after Facebook bought Instagram, the site is making significant changes to their user policy. Unless users delete their accounts now, after January they won’t be able to opt out.

Instagram is asking people to ‘agree to unspecified future commercial use of their photos.’ When Instagram sell a user’s photo, the company is profiting and not the user. The new policy sparked a debate on Twitter: ‘ Instagram is now the new iStockPhoto, except they won't have to pay you anything to use your images.’

Some users are so outraged by the new rules they are calling them ‘Instagram's suicide note.’

Not only can Instagram sell users photos, but the company is not liable. The new policy reads: ‘Instagram will not be liable for any use or disclosure of any content you provide.’ Essentially, they are making private photos public, and either you can stop using the website or might find photos of you, and your family used for commercial purposes.

Will you still use Instagram regardless on the new policy?