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The $5.99 Facebook privacy change is a hoax: don’t get tricked into copying and pasting it

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Have you seen your Facebook friends posting statements about an upcoming change that will require a $5.99 subscription to keep your content such as photos and messages private? It is NOT real. It’s a hoax. Link them here, hopefully they’ll remove it from their timeline, and the balance of the universe will soon be restored.

The fake posts typically look something like this:

Now it’s official! It has been published in the media. Facebook has just released the entry price: $5.99 to keep the subscription of your status to be set to “private”. If you paste this message on your page, it will be offered free (paste not share) if not tomorrow, all your posts can become public. Even the messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. After all, it does not cost anything for a simple copy and paste Better safe than sorry is right.

Channel 13 News was just talking about this change in Facebook’s privacy policy. Better safe than sorry. As of September 26th , 2015 at 01:16 a.m. Eastern standard time, I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and 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 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 If you do not publish a statement atleast once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates.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. You MUST copy and paste

The above is simply not true. Facebook has no interest in owning your content and they’ve been vocal in contesting these hoaxes, which have popped up in spurts over the past several years.

Screen Shot 2015-09-28 at 9.27.45 PM

Copyright Meme Spreading on Facebook

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.

Whenever I see these types of posts circulating on Facebook, I’m always left in awe. How do people fall for them? It seems like an embarrassingly obvious variation of the fear mongering chain-mail style posts we’ve seen since the days of MySpace. You know the type: “Share this with at least 10 people or you’ll have bad luck in your love life for 10 years.” These privacy hoaxes are not much more believable yet people still fall for them.

Facebook has very much become seen as the mass medium for moms and dads, which may lend itself to a less-than-tech-savvy collection of users, but it takes a pretty excessive level of ignorance to believe something so obvious out of left field. Googling any portion of the copy-and-paste message would yield a zillion results that clearly identify the message for the hoax that it is.

So why do so many people get tricked? Probably the same reason Prince Nzabeemlavan from the small province of Ghjalmazosaso in Zaire was able to become one of the world’s best fundraisers.

The difference between this hoax and the Somalian Prince hoax? You can easily see which of your friends fall for this crap!

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Rob Jackson
I'm an Android and Tech lover, but first and foremost I consider myself a creative thinker and entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for ideas of all sizes. I'm a sports lover who cheers for the Orange (College), Ravens (NFL), (Orioles), and Yankees (long story). I live in Baltimore and wear it on my sleeve, with an Under Armour logo. I also love traveling... where do you want to go?

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