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Facebook privacy hoax goes viral again

Why you need to stop posting it
Posted at 10:53 AM, Oct 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-18 10:53:49-04

A viral post spreading on Facebook this week is warning users that everything they have ever posted will become public-- including private messages and deleted posts. 

Like many similar posts that have gone viral before it, this, too, is a scam. 

The post reads something like this: 

Deadline tomorrow !!! Everything you've ever posted becomes public from tomorrow. Even messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. It costs nothing for a simple copy and paste, better safe than sorry. Channel 13 News talked about the change in Facebook's privacy policy. I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future. With this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute). NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates. DO NOT SHARE. Copy and paste

Facebook posted a response to these kinds of viral postings earlier this year, reminding users they still own all of the content and information they post on Facebook.

Internet myth buster Snopes has also written about these scams, saying "posting an ineffective legal notice on your Facebook page is pointless."  

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