Instagram"s recent proposal to update its terms of service left many users of the photo-sharing social network unhappy, and now one Instagram user has filed a lawsuit against the Facebook subsidiary regarding the proposed terms.
According to a new report from Reuters, a California user of the service has filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, among other claims, for Instagram"s attempt to update its terms of service. Instagram"s proposed update to its terms of service, which it has since decided to abandon, led to speculation that the social network was attempting to gain the right to sell users" photos. That speculation turned out to be incorrect, as the updated terms would not have given Instagram that right.
The class-action lawsuit, which was filed Friday, claims consumers who don"t agree with Instagram"s new terms of service – should they be implemented – are able to remove their profiles but lose access to all the previous photos and content they shared. Those photos would then remain under Instagram"s control, the lawsuit argues, because users who remove their profiles forfeit their previous rights to the photos.
A Facebook representative provided Reuters with the following comment regarding the lawsuit: "We believe this complaint is without merit and we will fight it vigorously."
The class-action lawsuit also comes before the proposed terms of service would have prohibited such actions against Instagram in the future. As part of the new terms, users would have been required to use mandatory arbitration for most disputes with the company.
Source: Reuters | Image via Instagram