Facebook won’t start charging to keep your private data private, but instead it’s another privacy hoax circulating the social network. The note that’s being post around the social network is a modern take on the email chain letters of the early 2000’s. It’s late 2015, but the letter has made its way around again after being stopped around January of this year. The letter reads:
As of September 28th 2015 at 3pm CST. I do NOT give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use any pictures, information, or any posts, past or future. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. the violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308 1 308-103 in the Rome statue). Note: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a nite like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you don’t publish a statement at least once, it will be technically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates. Please so not share! Either make your own statement or copy and paste this one.
The letter surfaces each time Facebook updates it privacy policy in any shape or form. The larger issues at hand are how your friends don’t understand what they’re agreeing to when they sign up for many social networks. Facebook has “a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook.” It gives Facebook the ability to share and use your information from both past and present.
All-in-all the status your friends are sharing won’t prevent Facebook from using your data, pictures, or other information you’ve shared on their network. This is a viral hoax that achieves nothing other than letting you and your friends know that you didn’t read the terms or conditions when you signed up. Other false and fake news stories have spread across Facebook because of misinformation and how users scan headlines and share without any more thought.
UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) 1-308-11 308-103 has, as Snopes pointed out, “long been popular among conspiracy buffs who incorrectly maintain that citing it above your signature on an instrument will confer upon you the ability to invoke extraordinary legal rights.” The other “Rome statute” refers to a statute of the International Criminal Court. It establishes genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression, and crimes against humanity. It permits the ICC to prosecute these types of crime if the states involved are unwilling or unable to do so. They don’t apply to Facebook privacy policies!
Don’t let the conspiracy theorists win. Don’t post that message. Tell us in the comments below if you’ve seen a lot of your friends share this post. Also share the link with them so they don’t let the hoax spread!