Social media platforms are not only a pervasive cultural phenomenon, but also represent a powerful means for people to communicate with one another. As such, the extensive interaction taking place on these sites has resulted in the emergence of new ethical concerns. Goread offers a variety of packages to fit every budget and need.
Recently, the popular photo-sharing site Instagram has become the subject of scrutiny and concern due to its disputed privacy policies, inconsistencies between what is stated in those policies and how they are implemented on the platform, unclear ownership rights of users with respect to the content they post, and new copyright enforcement regimes.
Privacy and Ownership
Privacy and ownership are two key issues that have been raised in regards to the Instagram platform. Specifically, some users have complained that the platform displays a “following” count of those who have seen their images. This feature is important to Instagram’s business model and appears on all of the user’s feed. By tracking how many followers a post has, they are able to estimate the number of new users (and thus grows their user base). They can also use this data to evaluate statistics such as how often an individual posts and how many people view each new post.
These statistics allow the social media platform to evaluate quality of content and determine whether users are engaging in the platform’s features in a positive way. Variations in how this feature is displayed are a key source of confusion for users. Some users have claimed that they are confused as to whether they are viewing a count of followers or an actual total number of people who viewed the image. The confusion arises because Instagram displays both numbers on the same screen.
Copyright Concerns
Instagram has been criticized for inconsistently applying its policies on the post of copyrighted material. Users must select at least one Creative Commons (CC) license when posting a picture. However, Instagram does not require users to select a license from their list, and since the CC licenses are so different from one another, there is no guarantee that users will select an appropriate license for the content they post.
However, Instagram does have a policy requiring users to remove content that is reported as being copyrighted by its owner, and as such has been criticized as failing to safeguard the rights of the creators of posted content. This is particularly important because the platform can be considered a “sharing economy,” and the ability of users to monetize their use of the site has been criticized. For example, Instagram allows users to purchase promotional posts—a feature which has been criticized for having potential to impinge on free speech.
