User:Kjn92/sandbox

Instagram: Storing and Sharing of User Data and the Issue of Privacy

Sharing Information: Instagram’s privacy policy states that they may use cookies and similar technologies like pixels, web beacons, and local storage to collect information about how users use Instagram and provide features for the user. Additionally, Instagram may ask advertisers or other partners to serve ads or services to devices, which may use cookies or similar technologies placed by Instagram or the third party. While their privacy policy states that Instagram will not rent or sell users’ information to third parties outside of Instagram without the user’s consent, there are some exceptions with whom they may share one’s information, which are listed as follows: • “Affiliates” of the company may have access to one’s user content and information, and they may use this information to help provide, understand, and improve the service or the Affiliates’ own services. For example: Facebook. By integrating data across services, Facebook and Instagram are able to learn a lot more about the user, which makes the user a lot more valuable to advertisers. Instagram wants to show ads from businesses that are interesting to the user, and to do that they use information about what the user does on Instagram and Facebook (Instagram’s parent company). For instance, this might include the people the user follows and the photos and videos they like on Instagram, and their interests and other basic info on Facebook. •Instagram may also share users’ information with third-party organizations that help to provide Instagram’s services to the user •Instagram may also share certain information such as cookie data with third-party advertising partners. This information allows third-party advertising networks to deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to a particular user. This is significant in terms of access to users’ information across different sites. Everything that the user does on Instagram is now just as valuable as what the user does on Facebook, for example. One’s location, usage habits, and device ID number will all inform what advertisements show up on either service.

Storing Information: Instagram’s privacy policy states that user information collected through the service may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Instagram, its Affiliates or Service Providers maintain facilities. Instagram, its Affiliates, or Service Providers may transfer information that they collect about the user, including personal information across borders and from the user’s country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world. Although Instagram says users still have ownership of photos, the service's Terms state that by adding a photo to one’s account, users give the service license to use their content. By registering for and using the service, the user consents to the transfer of information to the U.S. or to any other country in which Instagram, its Affiliates or Service Providers maintain facilities and the use and disclosure of information about the user as described in this Privacy Policy.

Instagram also stores and tracks user information in order to provide the best features for the user. For example, on June 3, 2014, Instagram introduced new editing tools to the application that they previously did not have. Instagram says that its new editing tools were built to satisfy user requests — requests hidden in very plain sight. Over 23 million posts have been tagged with #VSCOcam, a popular photo editing application.