After announcing changes to its terms of service that suggested it could sell your photos without consent, Instagram is issuing an apology. In a blog post, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said this controversy that led to user’s deleting their accounts was a misunderstanding. He clarified the company stance that it wants to pursue advertising opportunities, but it will not sell user’s photos.
Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.
Instagram is working on a revised version of its terms of service that will “answer your questions, fix any mistakes, and eliminate the confusion.”
[Via Instagram]