FACEBOOK TERMS OF SERVICE

The people spoke and Facebook listened. In response to the outcry from thousands of the 175 million registered Facebook users, Facebook has reverted back to their original Terms of Service.

This change of TOS, posted on February 4, 2009, flew under the radar until the Consumerist, highlighted the changes. The popular consumer watch-dog blog outlined the portion of the TOS that stated that Facebook had full rights to any user content posted “in connection with the Facebook Service.” This meant that Facebook indefinitely owned videos, photos, notes etc, posted by users whether a user’s account was active on the site or not. The Consumerist post alarmed thousands of Facebook users and received over 500,000 views.

Facebook quickly responded to the uproar by returning to the original Terms of Service. The site has begun to poll users as to whether or not they want Facebook to return to its original Terms of Service. Additionally, they have created a new Facebook group: Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. This group has given users the option to voice any concerns they may have with the Terms of Service. So far, over 4,000 people have posted comments. Facebook has made this information available on the site’s homepage.

Now, don’t get too excited just yet. Facebook is still working to revise their TOS as Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, explained on the Facebook blog. However; they have assured users that the new TOS will be clearly written, in plain language. Zuckerberg also states that, “since this will be the governing document that we’ll all live by, Facebook users will have a lot of input in crafting these terms.”

All in all, crisis averted. Facebook responded quickly and let it be known that they will listen to what its users have to say. Their actions have reassured users that Facebook is more of a democracy than a dictatorship. Keep checking out their blog for the latest on their TOS.