Many people use online services like Shutterfly to print photos from their Facebook accounts. This raises an important question – can Shutterfly actually access your Facebook photos? The quick answer is yes, Shutterfly can access your Facebook photos if you connect your Facebook account and grant the proper permissions. However, there are some important details to understand about how this works and how your privacy is protected.
Connecting Shutterfly and Facebook
To print Facebook photos on Shutterfly, you need to connect your Facebook account. This allows Shutterfly to retrieve your photos. Here’s a quick rundown of how to connect the two services:
- Go to Shutterfly.com and click on “Photo Books” or another product you want to create.
- Click the “Import Photos” button.
- Choose the option to import from Facebook.
- Enter your Facebook login credentials when prompted.
- Facebook will ask if you want to allow Shutterfly access – click “Okay.”
Once connected, Shutterfly will have access to your Facebook photos, albums, and can print them directly on photo books, cards, calendars, and other products. The connection works both ways – you can also upload Shutterfly photos to Facebook.
Permissions and Privacy Settings
When you allow Shutterfly to access your Facebook photos, you are granting permissions to the Shutterfly app. Here are some key points about permissions:
- Shutterfly’s app only requests permission to view and access your photos – not make posts, share data, or anything beyond photos.
- You can revoke Shutterfly’s access anytime by removing the connected app in your Facebook settings.
- Shutterfly only retrieves the specific photos you select to print – not your entire library.
- Your Facebook privacy settings still apply. Only photos you’ve shared publicly or with Shutterfly will be accessible.
So in summary, Shutterfly isn’t getting full access to everything in your Facebook account, just specifically to photos in line with the app permissions and your privacy settings.
Is My Data Safe with Shutterfly?
Many users understandably have concerns about security and what happens to their Facebook data when shared with other apps and services. Here are some key facts about how Shutterfly handles your data:
- Shutterfly states that they only use your data for the services you explicitly request, like printing photos. They do not use it for advertising or marketing.
- Your photos are transmitted directly between Facebook and Shutterfly servers using encryption during upload and download.
- Photos are stored encrypted on Shutterfly’s servers. Only you can view them with your account login.
- You retain ownership of your photos. Shutterfly does not claim any copyrights or ownership.
- Shutterfly is certified compliant with major privacy frameworks like SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS.
Overall, Shutterfly seems to follow standard best practices for securely handling user data. Many independent reviewers have verified the company’s security standards.
Managing Your Connected Apps
It’s always a smart idea to periodically review the apps connected to your Facebook account and ensure only approved ones have access. Here are some tips for managing connected apps:
- Go to your Facebook Settings >> Apps and Websites to view connected apps.
- Check the status is “Active” for apps you currently use, like Shutterfly.
- For any you no longer use, remove access by clicking the “Remove” button.
- Removing access is instant – the app will no longer have access to your photos.
- You can always reconnect the app again later if needed.
Periodically screening your connected apps ensures only the current services you use have access to your account and data. It’s a good privacy practice.
Does Shutterfly Store Your Photos?
Another common concern is around photo storage. When you grant Shutterfly access, does the service store or retain copies of your photos? Here are the key facts:
- Shutterfly states they only store your photos for the time needed to fulfill your orders.
- After an order is completed and delivered, photos are removed from their servers.
- The exception is if you create and save designs in a Shutterfly account – these may be stored indefinitely.
- You can always log into your account and permanently delete saved designs and projects.
So in summary, Shutterfly does not appear to indefinitely retain your Facebook photos, with the exception of designs you intentionally save in an account. Those can be manually deleted at any time.
Does Facebook Share Data with Shutterfly?
Some users are also curious whether connecting Shutterfly allows Facebook to share your data with the service as well. Here is Facebook’s stance:
- Facebook only shares user data with third-party apps and services to the extent needed for core functionality.
- For Shutterfly, this is specifically access to photos you select.
- Facebook states they do not share any additional user data beyond what the app needs to work.
- All data sharing is encrypted and secure.
So Facebook claims to only share the minimum user data needed for each connected app to function. In Shutterfly’s case, that appears limited to just your photos and related metadata.
Does the Shutterfly App Follow Facebook API Terms?
Facebook provides an API and platform that enables third-party apps like Shutterfly to connect with Facebook accounts. As a platform requirement:
- Apps must comply with Facebook’s API Terms of Service.
- These terms limit data usage to only power core functionality.
- Apps cannot sell data or use it for advertising.
- Facebook can audit apps for compliance and ban them for violations.
By all accounts, Shutterfly appears to comply with these API terms by only using your data for printing services. This means your data should be secure even at the platform level per Facebook’s policies.
Alternatives for Printing Facebook Photos
While Shutterfly provides an easy way to print Facebook photos, some users understandably have privacy concerns around a third-party service accessing their account. Alternatives do exist:
- Download Photos Manually: You can download photos directly from Facebook to your computer and then upload them to a photo printing service independently.
- Use Instagram: Connect Instagram instead of Facebook to photo apps – Instagram is also owned by Meta but considered a separate service.
- Apple Photos Integration: Services like Motif and FreePrints have direct integration with Apple Photos for iPhone users.
- One-Time Passwords: Some services like Bay Photo allow temporary single use passwords to access just specific Facebook albums.
So while Shutterfly may be the most convenient option, you do have alternatives that can avoid directly connecting Facebook if you have privacy concerns.
Summary and Conclusion
Here are the key takeaways around whether Shutterfly can access your Facebook photos:
- Yes, Shutterfly can access your Facebook photos when you connect the accounts and grant permissions.
- The access is limited to just photos via the app permissions.
- Shutterfly claims photos are only used for printing services ordered.
- Facebook only shares necessary data with Shutterfly for functionality.
- You can revoke app access anytime in your Facebook settings.
- Alternatives exist like downloading photos or using Instagram instead.
Overall, Shutterfly’s access appears legitimate and secure based on reviewing their policies and practices. However, it’s always smart to limit app connections to only current services you actively use, and periodically check your Facebook app settings. With proper permissions and privacy settings in place, Shutterfly can be a great way to conveniently print your Facebook memories.