Facebook Warning 'Hoax' Has Some Truth; What FB Users Need To Know

Anyone who has been on Facebook in the past few days probably has seen a message about “new Facebook guidelines,” but sharing content there without consent is actually nothing new.

Many were prompted to repost the warning as a status update so information on their Facebook page would be protected, and even though it’s been labeled as a hoax, users may not realize how “unsafe” they really are.

The beginning of the hoax that tricked countless members into sharing the status read:

“In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner [sic] Convention).”

“For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!”

The status went viral on the massive social media site and prompted a Facebook spokesperson to respond:

"We have noticed some statements that suggest otherwise and we wanted to take a moment to remind you of the facts -- when you post things like photos to Facebook, we do not own them. Under our terms, you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute, and share the things you post, subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings."

Hoax or not, material posted on Facebook can be shared. That’s a fact that many people are not aware of and believed they could stop just by posting a status.

Simply writing on Facebook that permission must be granted before using someone else’s material on their page won't change anything.

For those who are unfamiliar with Facebook’s terms and policies, click here.

If there's something extremely personal on Facebook that a user wouldn’t want others to see, it should be immediately removed.

The Examiner wrote:

“Remember that literally anything you post online is fair game; if you fail to read the disclaimers and online privacy policy, you have no one to blame for your stuff being used or shared.”