Following user outrage in response to changing its terms of service, Instagram was hit by a class action lawsuit in San Francisco on Friday.
Instagram recently announced that they had full ownership to user’s photos , a change to their original terms of service. Users did not hold back their anger, and Instagram responded by rescinding the change.
CNN reports the damage is done, and now Instagram will face legal action. The lawsuit claims:
“In short, Instagram declares that ‘possession is nine-tenths of the law and if you don’t like it, you can’t stop us,’”
Instagram user Lucy Funes filed the lawsuit in San Francisco, California on behalf of herself and those affected by Instagram’s new terms of service. She claims Instagram has breached their contract with users and now needs to pay.
In their terms of service change, Instagram introduced a mandatory arbitration clause, forcing users to waive their rights to file a class action lawsuit. In plain English, Instagram gave themselves the ability to sell user’s photos without compensation.
While Instagram has since revoked the ability to sell user ‘s photos, the mandatory arbitration clause has not been changed.
According to Reuters , this is the first lawsuit filed against Instagram in response to their change in terms of service. In all likelihood, it will not be the last.
Here is a photo of the lawsuit:
Facebook recently purchased Instagram for $715 million. In response to the lawsuit, Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes says:
“We believe this complaint is without merit and we will fight it vigorously.”
Do you think Facebook and Instagram should be forced to pay their users in this lawsuit?
