Modern people spend hours on end surfing the Internet and performing various activities. A daily routine consists of sharing personal information or posting photos in the timeline of a social network. However, once the user uploads his content, his information becomes vulnerable to the actions of others. Thus, the usage of the Internet services and applications should be regulated with the help of certain policies to provide appropriate protection of users’ materials. Unfortunately, the users are not interested in the terms of use section which is available on every respectful website. Instead, they put themselves under the risk to be involved in the conflicts. This paper examines Facebook Terms of Service section because it is highly important to be aware of rights before using any service.

The link to the Terms section is https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/update. Facebook Terms of use were revised on the 30th of January, 2015. The Statements provide and support the Facebook Principles, which include freedom to share and connect, to own and control information, to respect social value, to receive fundamental service, and to monitor transparent process. The user automatically agrees with these Statements by using and accessing any of Facebook Services.

The core term in this section is Privacy. Facebook created separate section for Data policies, which regulates all manipulations with data. To access it, one should follow the link: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy. The user gives a right to a company to collect certain kind of information. This section explains what and why Facebook collects. The data shows user’s activities and information he/she provides, such as networks, connections, payment details, device characteristics, and third-party partners cooperation. In fact, this information is supposed to improve, provide, and develop Services. Furthermore, to provide better advertisement services, the user gives permission to use his name, profile picture, or personal data in the commercial and sponsored activity content. In addition, Facebook has a right to disable an account in the case of violation of the Terms of Use.

The user also has several rights. The company guarantees safe registration, account security, and data privacy. First of all, the user is the owner of the content and information that he/she posts on Facebook. They can control how to share it, using privacy and application settings. Facebook provides its users with safe services. Though, this policy requires certain commitments by the user. They should not use bots and robots to perform on Facebook. It is not allowed to establish unlawful multi-level marketing, to upload viruses to the network, and to posting violent or pornographic information. The user has a right to use free mobile application, but it is necessary to remember that certain services are not free. In addition, the user should be informed about the changes in the Statements.

Facebook Terms of Service cover several sections: Payment Terms, Platform Page, Facebook Platform Policies, Advertising Policies, Self-Serve Ad Terms, Promotion Guidelines, and Pages Terms. Every point corresponds to a particular function of Facebook. What surprised the user most when they read the Statements is the fact that their photos and profile information could appear in an advertisement. Unfortunately, the majority of people have never read Terms of Service before. Personally, I would not stop using this network after I read the Terms. In fact, the rights and responsibilities, such as posting of reliable information and not being involved in unlawful actions, are clear. A responsible user follows them on a daily basis.

Still, it is important to read Terms of Service in order to protect the rights while using social network and its applications. In the case of careless attitude, one cannot even notice the violation of the rights. Moreover, an account can be terminated and the data can be deleted if one perform improper actions.

Responsible and famous companies, such as Facebook, create Terms of Service section to provide their users with safety and privacy. At the same time, they impose necessarily obligations. However, most of the users disregard them and expose themselves to the conflicts, which lead to the account ban and data loss. Facebook Terms of Service section has many sections, which were created according to Facebook Principles. Its core element is to provide safety and privacy.

About the author: Alice Grey is a bachelor in English philology and sociology at California University. She is currently working as one of the best writers at the environment pollution essay She also studies feminine psychology.