“Recommended by a lawyer” privacy notice spreads again on Facebook

A message is spreading across Facebook that asserts users of the social networking site should “issue a statement” on their timeline in order to prevent Facebook from using the information the user shares onto their account.

The message claims that it is recommended by a lawyer. An example can be seen below –

Recommended by a lawyer.
The violation of privacy can be punished by law
Note: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this.
If you havent issued a statement at least once, it will be technically understood that you allow the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in your updates of profile status.
I declare that I have not given my permission to Facebook to use my photos or any information in my profile, my updates and my statuses!
Make a copy paste! (Hold your finger on the text, click on copy, made a post and paste. )
Do not just share!!!

This is just the latest incarnation of the silly “privacy notice” hoax that has been spreading since 2012. Every year it begins to spread again in a slightly modified format, fooling Facebook users once again. And the 2017 version of the hoax is preceded by the claim that it has been “recommended by a lawyer”.

This privacy notice hoax was previously covered last year. Back then it quoted irrelevant legislation including the UCC Commercial Code and the Rome Statute. These details have been omitted for the above version, yet the message still remains wholly asinine.

As we have previously said during previous iterations of this rumour, what Facebook and other entities can or cannot do with your information is dictated by the terms of service you agreed to (but probably didn’t read) when you signed up for an account. These terms can be modified from time to time, but users are told when this happens.

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These terms cannot be reactively overridden by posting a statement onto your timeline, no matter what it says. If you do not agree with what Facebook does with your information, you can either attempt to persuade Facebook to change their terms of service or you can close your Facebook account. If you’re going to try and force Facebook’s hand simply by posting demands on your timeline, you may as well demand free building and contents insurance for life, or being exempt from all national taxes. It’ll have the same impact.

And that is to say, absolutely no impact at all.

We – and many others – have stated a number of times that posting legal notices on your timeline has no effect whatsoever on your rights to privacy. So please stop falling for these hoaxes.

You can read our previous debunking of earlier permutations of this hoax here.