Facebook is using your images in adverts

I read this on a friends Facebook status page last night and it added another nail in the coffin of me continuing to use the service.

Facebook has agreed to let third party advertisers use your posted pictures without your permission. Click on "Settings" up at the top where you see the "Logout" link. Select "Privacy". Then select "News Feed and Wall". Next, select the tab that reads "Facebook Ads". In the drop down box, select "No One". Then save your changes. Do it now. Help your friends...cut and paste this into your status

You may want to change your settings as advised above and have a poke around other security settings.

Contrary to the fast spreading rumour, nothing has changed in Facebook’s terms of service and Barry gives the full details on the Facebook blog. It seems like a few 3rd party apps are to blame according to Facebook and they have recently prohibited two entire advertising networks from providing services to applications on Facebook Platform for this type of behaviour. That’s fair enough but I would have thought disabling the ability to build such apps would be a better solution. For that reason, I’ve changed my own settings as noted above.

LA Times has more commentary and makes the valid point that as users, we ought to read the fine print more often.