With the new year comes a new hoax, and people on Facebook are falling for a privacy con in their droves.
Have you seen this message doing the rounds?
Due to the fact that Facebook has chosen to involve software that will allow the theft of my personal information, I state: at this date of January 4, 2015, in response to the new guidelines of Facebook, pursuant to articles L.111, 112 and 113 of the code of intellectual property, I declare that my rights are attached to all my personal data drawings, paintings, photos, video, texts etc. published on my profile and my page. For commercial use of the foregoing my written consent is required at all times.
Those who read this text can do a copy/paste on their Facebook wall. This will allow them to place themselves under the protection of copyright. By this statement, I tell Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, broadcast, or take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and or its content. The actions mentioned above also apply to employees, students, agents and or other personnel under the direction of Facebook.
The content of my profile contains private information. The violation of my privacy is punishable by law (UCC 1-308 1-308 1-103 and the Rome Statute).
Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are invited to publish a notice of this kind, or if they prefer, you can copy and paste this version.
If you have not published this statement at least once, you tacitly allow the use of elements such as your photos as well as the information contained in the profile update.
Don't bother sharing it. It's total rubbish.
In fact, you should probably keep a list of all your friends who do it so you know which of them will fall for anything.
The text has been floating around Facebook for years, needlessly tricking users into looking like idiots.
Although it may look like a legal statement, it's not. You won't be letting Mark Zuckerberg steal your holiday photos if you don't post it.
Don't go giving him any ideas...
In addition to being legally pointless, it also appears to be addressing a non-existent problem.
You may already have agreed to let the site use your content - in the Terms And Conditions, you grant Facebook a nonexclusive usage license if you post anything publicly.
However you still own the copyright to anything you post, and Zuckerberg has no intention of prying under the terms alleged in that viral copy-and-paste tripe.
In its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Facebook says: "You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings."
So tell your friends: They're not trying to steal your stuff, and you wouldn't be able to stop it just by posting a status if they were.