The Facebook privacy hoax is fooling thousands of people, again

midian182

Posts: 9,662   +121
Staff member

Some of the stuff people put on Facebook can make you want to quit the platform. While photos of every meal, updates on each gym visit, and the sharing of inspirational quotes are bad enough, possibly the most infuriating posts are hoaxes related to the social media site. Now, one of these old messages has returned.

There have been different variations of the fake copyright post circulating on Facebook since 2012. It states that the company is about to change its privacy policy and make everything you’ve ever posted, even deleted material, public. The only way to stop this is to copy and share the message, thereby overriding Facebook’s terms and conditions of service.

Should the company violate a user’s privacy, the message threatens Facebook with the law “UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103” and the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute, incidentally, is the legal framework set up by the International Criminal Court that deals with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. A bit excessive for copyright violations.

The whole thing is, of course, utter garbage, yet there are a stunning number of people on Facebook who fall for it. I’ve seen it on my own feed several times. Publicly stating that you don’t give Facebook permission to use your content won’t affect its T&Cs; it just makes you look like a tool. And, as Snopes points out, the company isn’t claiming copyright to users’ material, nor has it announced that it is making posts public, regardless of users’ privacy settings.

Facebook itself addressed the issue back in 2012, though people don't seem to have noticed – or maybe they just don't believe it. The Fact Check post states: “There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users' information or the content they post to the site. This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been.”

Several other fake posts have gone viral in the past; some even predate this one. The message claiming Mark Zuckerberg is giving away $4.5 million to 1000 users has been reposted hundreds of thousands of times. And the hoax that Facebook is about to become a paid-for service has been around since at least 2011.

For the lucky few who haven’t seen it on their feeds, here is the copyright post in full:

Deadline tomorrow !!! Everything you’ve ever posted becomes public from tomorrow. Even messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. It costs nothing for a simple copy and paste, better safe than sorry. Channel 13 News talked about the change in Facebook’s privacy policy. I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future. With 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 its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute). NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates. DO NOT SHARE. Copy and paste.

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I see this crap all the time, and I try to remember people that are FOOLED by this, and remind myself to NOT have an intelligent conversation with them LOL.
But, with our believe anything, instant "news" access, forward the first thing you see mentality, it doesn't surprise me.
 
People still fall for this cr@p! I thought these pass on things died with MSN messenger.
 
Well, it's certainly a step up from the automated message that keeps calling me and telling me the IRS has out a warrant for my arrest if I don't pay a $4,500 tax bill immediately.........I keep offering to pay, all the guy has to do is meet me at Walmart under one of the bright lights and I'll give him what he deserves ..... so far, no reply ....
 
What's funny is to this date I read the same exact messages that were circulating 20 years ago through messenger but on whatsapp, and the same people falling over and over and over again.

Although it's funny and like someone said already it helps you know who is who, there is no harm done, I mean, besides ignoring a post there is no virus, no attachment, no forwarding of information nor giving more access to your profile to someone who you don't know so besides looking like a fool, what's the point of this bullcrap?
 
What's funny is to this date I read the same exact messages that were circulating 20 years ago through messenger but on whatsapp, and the same people falling over and over and over again.

Although it's funny and like someone said already it helps you know who is who, there is no harm done, I mean, besides ignoring a post there is no virus, no attachment, no forwarding of information nor giving more access to your profile to someone who you don't know so besides looking like a fool, what's the point of this bullcrap?
Trolls, simple as that. Or possibly, some social studies class or something.
 
Well, it's certainly a step up from the automated message that keeps calling me and telling me the IRS has out a warrant for my arrest if I don't pay a $4,500 tax bill immediately.........I keep offering to pay, all the guy has to do is meet me at Walmart under one of the bright lights and I'll give him what he deserves ..... so far, no reply ....
Don't forget, you'll owe even more taxes, if you're lucky enough to get some of the free Facebook stock....:eek:

Then the IRS will be calling you night and day! :D
 
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MHO: it's a joke, like the 'Mars the size of the Moon' thing - simply to show who has not already been added to their friends' Long-list entitled:
'people I am acquainted with who will believe (nearly) anything'.
It is, arguably, useful.
(Since I am not proud, I know -I- made a few lists when I believed the serial-number-for-each-bullet hoax, when a little IQ or effort would have shown that to be painfully ridiculous alt-right speak. I woke up sober the following day and did Not run out and Hoard 'un-serialized' bullets, LMAO. This precedes by a historical Age the present Facebook generation, of course)
 
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