14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook is making some changes to the terms of service as well as to its privacy policies. For now, the site is only proposing the changes and asking for feedback, but you can assume that most of the changes will go through unaltered and will become part of the policies.
Some of the changes are being made in response to the Sponsored Stories lawsuit that the company has just settled.
The lawsuit was over ads that relied on user actions, such as posts about a brand or product, used as ads shown to their friends.
So to make sure it's not in a position to be sued ever again, Facebook is now making it clear that everything you do on or post to Facebook can and will probably be used in an ad. Your photos, your posts, your friends list, nothing is off limits.
The current Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities reads [PDF]: "You can use your privacy settings to limit how your name and profile picture may be associated with commercial, sponsored, or related content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us."
The proposed document makes it clear that you're giving everything up. "You give us permission to use your name, profile picture, content, and information in connection with commercial, sponsored, or related content."
"This means, for example, that you permit a business or other entity to pay us to display your name and/or profile picture with your content or information, without any compensation to you," Facebook explains.
However, Facebook will continue to respect your privacy settings so a post that's only visible to your friends can only be used as an ad shown to your friends and no one else.
The rules apply to minors as well; their photos and posts can be used for ads too, under the agreement that a parent or legal guardian has seen the document. Exactly zero kids have ever asked their parents to see a site's terms of service before using it.