The Thing About Instagram: Always be conscious of what you share

On Wednesday I watched the news unfold about the changes to Instagram’s privacy policy and terms of service (TOS) throughout the day and rather than writing an advice filled post laden with what the new terms meant and suggestions about other services to use, I went to bed (9:30 pm rather than 1:30 am per usual thank-you-very-much!) and woke up not surprised to read the Thank you, and we’re listening post on their site.

If you’ve been stressing over Instagram and the pending doom over the changes that will happen in less than 30 days, take a deep breath. This is par for the course. Websites, apps, cellular carriers, and even our favorite social networking tools (cough*Facebook*cough) change their policies and TOS constantly. CONSTANTLY!

There is a risk with everything we use and the only way you can protect yourself against constantly changing privacy policies and alterations to terms of service is to be cautious about what you share.

Instagram lured us in thanks to fancy filters and the ability to brag through our photos that we could then share with friends across social networks. Snapping and sharing was just too easy. Snap. Share. Snap. Share. Before long, it’s easy to forget that those Instagrams are out there for the world to see.

While Instagram has said through their post that they don’t claim ownership rights over your photos, the risk lies in the subject of your photos and the fact that they’re out there for the world to see. While Instagram may not claim ownership, who knows who else may not abide by this and snatch your pretty cloud pics, artsy food shots, or gorgeous images of your kids for their own use. Or even piece together the locations of your photos on your photo map and further jeopardize your privacy.

So yes, I will still be using Instagram come 2013 but just as I am very conscious about the images that I share on my site and limit photos of my family on Facebook, I’m going to continue to stop and think before I tap share.

Here are 3 of my favorite posts that are useful as you consider what to do about your Instagram account:  

• If you’re wondering about what in the world I’m talking about with Instagram, the Wall Street Journal gives you the rundown in Why the Web is Freaking Out Over Instagram’s New Terms of Service.

• Will Instagram be selling your photos? Cecily Kellogg says that while the language says that they have the right to, her Babble post called People: Instagram is NOT Going to Sell Your Photos provides reassurance to those who may still be nervous about these changes.

• If you’re abandoning Instagram, Kristen Chase dives into the Flickr app and asks if it’s a viable Instagram replacement and then provides a how-to for backing up your Instagram photos over on Cool Mom Tech.