Instagram’s New Terms of Service Attract California Unfair Trade Practices Complaint

Photo-sharing platform Instagram’s recent updates to its terms of use unfairly deprive California residents of intellectual and personal property, according to a complaint seeking to represent a class of Instagram’s California account-holders, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Dec. 21 (Funes v. Instagram Inc.).

Instagram announced the change Dec. 17 (243 DER A-18, 12/19/12). Detractors contend that Instagram’s proposed changes would allow it to use members’ likenesses in advertising without knowledge or compensation and to run advertisements without identifying them as ads. Instagram’s co-founder sought to quell those criticisms Dec. ...