Facebook Invites Users to Craft New Terms of Service

PALO ALTO, Calif. — After trying to claim "perpetual worldwide license" to everything posted on his site, Facebook chieftain Mark Zuckerberg is trying to save face by backpedaling.

Facebook users and the Internet community reacted with hostility to Facebook's attempt to appropriate all data on the site for its own use, even after users delete their accounts.

But yesterday, Zuckerberg spoke with several prominent tech journalists and tech pundits about an instant change in company policy that invites users to contribute their own thoughts and ideas to craft a new set of service terms.

Zuckerberg also sought to clarify his company's earlier statement.

"We do not own user data," he said. "They own their data. We never intended to give that impression and we feel bad that we did."

Along with the mea culpa, Zuckerberg and his team have unveiled a new bill of rights for Facebook users. The new rights include language that runs contrary to the idea of a "perpetual worldwide license."

"People should own their information," the document reads. "They should have the freedom to share it with anyone they want and take it with them anywhere they want, including removing it from the Facebook Service. People should have the freedom to decide with whom they will share their information, and to set privacy controls to protect those choices. Those controls, however, are not capable of limiting how those who have received information may use it, particularly outside the Facebook Service."

The bill of rights, known as the proposed set of Facebook Principles was released in tandem with another document called the proposed Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

Facebook has invited users to vote on these proposed terms, but one tech watchdog is dubious of Facebook's intentions. According to the proposal, if more than 7,000 users comment on a policy, it'll be put to a vote. If the proposal wins the vote, it'll become Facebook gospel, but only if more than 30 percent of all active users vote.

"Based on Facebook's current 175 million user base, that's nearly 53 million people, which makes it questionable whether the company will ever get sufficient voter turnout," wrote Larry Magid for CNET News.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

More Conservative Organizations Distance Themselves From Anti-Porn Project 2025

A growing list of conservative groups which had formerly endorsed Project 2025 — which calls for the total criminalization of adult content production and distribution — have reportedly distanced themselves from the blueprint, following Donald Trump’s claims that he disagrees with an unspecified number of its positions.

BranditScan Unveils Protection Plan for Adult Studios

BranditScan has launched a new content protection plan tailored specifically for adult studios.

CAM4 Debuts Weekly 'Skyy Knox's CAM Crawl' Livestream

CAM4 is launching "Skyy Knox’s CAM Crawl," a new livestream running every Sunday at 3 p.m. PDT.

Texas Judge Pauses AG Ken Paxton's Aylo Lawsuit Until SCOTUS Decision

A Texas district judge granted a request Wednesday to pause proceedings in the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton against Aylo over Pornhub’s alleged failure to implement Texas’ controversial age verification requirements, pending the outcome of the Free Speech Coalition-led lawsuit against Paxton, which will be heard by the Supreme Court during the next term.

Author of UN Report Recommending Worldwide Criminalization of Sex Work, Porn to Speak at NCOSE Summit

Jordanian activist Reem Alsalem, a special rapporteur on violence against women and girls at the United Nations Human Rights Council who recently issued a controversial report recommending that governments abolish all forms of sex work, including porn, will speak at anti-porn lobby NCOSE’s 2024 summit in August.

Spicey AI Voice Chat Platform Launches

Spicey AI, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to create interactive voice messages from chatbots based on adult performers, has launched.

Utherverse to Host 8th Annual VirtualCon in September

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse will hold the eighth edition of its annual virtual conference, VirtualCon, from Sept. 26-28.

Pornhub Shuts Down Access in Nebraska Over Age Verification

Aylo began blocking access to Pornhub in Nebraska on Monday, in anticipation of the state’s new age verification law — one of many such bills promoted by religious conservatives around the country — which is scheduled to go into effect Thursday.

FeelMe AI Launches 3 New Subscription Tiers

FeelMe AI has launched three new subscription levels, allowing users to connect compatible Kiiroo sex toys to their videos for interactive solo play.

CamSoda Launches AI Girlfriend Builder

CamSoda has debuted a personalized "AI girlfriend" feature, which allows users to create their very own virtual companion at no charge, including free NSFW role-play and chat.

Show More