This is a common question many Facebook users have – what happens to the photos you post on Facebook? Does Facebook take ownership of them or do you retain the rights?
The short answer is no, Facebook does not own or claim copyright on photos you post. However, by posting them on Facebook, you do grant the platform certain licenses and permissions to use them.
When you post a photo on Facebook, you grant Facebook a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any intellectual property contained in that photo. This allows them to display, distribute and reproduce your photos within Facebook products and services.
You still retain ownership and copyright of the photos. Facebook’s licenses do not allow them to claim ownership or sell your photos to third parties without your permission. However, the terms of service allow them to use, modify and republish your photos for limited purposes connected to operating their services.
Facebook’s Terms of Service
To understand exactly what rights Facebook has regarding your photos, it’s important to look at their Terms of Service. Section 2 of the terms lays out what happens when you share content on Facebook:
- You retain ownership and copyright of the content you post.
- By sharing content, you grant Facebook an non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate, and create derivative works of your content.
- This license ends when you delete your content or account, unless it has already been shared with others who have not deleted it.
- You grant Facebook permission to use your name, profile picture, and information about your actions with ads and sponsored content.
- You prohibit Facebook from using your content in an ad or sponsored content shared with your friends.
These terms give Facebook the right to display and share your photos within their services. For example, allowing friends to view, share or comment on them. Or including them in Memories and other photo features.
What this means for your photos
Based on Facebook’s terms, here is what Facebook can and can’t do with your photos once they are posted:
What Facebook can do
- Host and display your photos on Facebook services
- Allow other users to access and share your photos
- Use your photos for ads not targeted specifically to your friends
- Modify, translate or extract data from your photos
- Sub-license your photos to service providers and partners
- Retain backup copies of your photos after you delete them
What Facebook can’t do
- Claim ownership or copyright of your photos
- Sell or share your photos with third party companies
- Use your photos in ads shown to your Facebook friends
- Continue using your photos after you delete your account, unless shared
- Allow your photos to be accessed by the public outside of Facebook
The key point is that while Facebook has permission to use and share your photos in connection with their services, you still retain full ownership rights.
You control privacy settings
Facebook’s default privacy settings allow your photos to be seen by anyone on or off Facebook. But you can customize the privacy settings for each post to limit who can see it.
For example, you can set photos to be visible to:
- Public: Anyone on or off Facebook
- Friends: Your Facebook friends only
- Friends except acquaintances: Excludes people you may know socially
- Specific friends: Only people you select
- Only me: Just yourself
Using privacy settings allows you to control how widely your photos are shared, even though they are hosted on Facebook’s platform.
You can request photo takedowns
If one of your photos is re-shared beyond your intended audience, you can ask Facebook to take it down. Facebook provides an intellectual property rights request form for reporting unauthorized use of photos or other content.
Reasons you can request a takedown include:
- You own the photo and it is used without permission
- The photo contains content that goes against Facebook’s terms
- The photo infringes your intellectual property rights
Facebook will review your request and remove any photos that conflict with their policies or terms. This allows you to maintain control even after posting.
You can download your photos
Facebook allows you to download all your photos at once by requesting an archive of your account data. This includes photos you’ve uploaded as well as ones you’ve been tagged in.
Having your photo archive makes it easy to view your photos outside Facebook or move them to another platform. Facebook states they may retain backup copies if required by law, but you retain the originals.
Deleting photos removes Facebook’s access
If you want to revoke Facebook’s license to use a specific photo, you can simply delete it. This removes their right to access or display the photo on their platform.
Keep in mind that other users may still have access to your photo if they shared or saved it previously. But Facebook itself no longer has permission to use a photo once you remove it.
Deactivating your account also removes access
Deactivating your Facebook account temporarily suspends your profile and removes your photos from view. Others will no longer be able to search for or view your photos while your account is deactivated.
Permanently deleting your account completely removes your photos from Facebook’s servers, unless they have already been reshared by others. After deletion, Facebook no longer has licenses or rights to display your photos.
Conclusion
Posting photos to Facebook grants them certain licenses to display and share your photos. But you still retain full ownership and copyright.
You control how photos are shared through privacy settings. You can request takedowns of unauthorized use. You can download copies of your photos. And removing photos or deleting your account revokes Facebook’s access.
The licenses granted to Facebook are limited in scope to operating their services. At no point do they take ownership or gain copyrights of photos you post.
So in summary, while posting photos to Facebook does allow them specific usage rights, you still maintain control as the owner. Facebook does not own or claim copyright on photos you share on their platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Facebook use my photos in ads?
Facebook’s terms allow them to use your photos in ads not targeted specifically at your friends. However, they cannot use photos of you in ads shown to your own friends without additional consent.
What happens if I delete a photo from Facebook?
Deleting a photo removes Facebook’s permission to display or share it. However, it may still exist if shared by others. Facebook may retain backup copies if required by law.
Can I stop someone re-sharing my photo?
If someone re-shares your photo without permission, you can request Facebook take it down through their reporting process. But you cannot prevent people from sharing initially if your privacy settings allow it.
What photos can Facebook access?
Facebook can access and license any photos you post directly to Facebook or Instagram. Photos shared privately through messaging are end-to-end encrypted and not available to Facebook.
Does Facebook modify my photos?
Facebook’s terms allow them to modify and adapt your photos to provide their services. This includes resizing or reformatting for display purposes. However, they cannot make substantive edits or alter the meaning of photos.
What rights do I have for photos posted to Facebook?
You retain full copyright ownership and control removal of the photos. Facebook licenses allow them display and share your photos but only for operating their platforms and services.
Can I reuse photos I’ve shared on Facebook?
Yes, you retain full ownership rights to reuse and republish your photos elsewhere. Sharing on Facebook does not sign over any copyright or ownership of your photos.
Does Facebook own my photos if my account is deleted?
No, deleting your Facebook account removes their access and license to display your photos, unless they’ve already been reshared by others.
Table summarizing Facebook’s use of your photos
| Use of your photos | Can Facebook do this? |
|---|---|
| Display the photo on Facebook services | Yes |
| Allow other users to share the photo | Yes |
| Sell the photo to third party companies | No |
| Claim copyright ownership of the photo | No |
| Include the photo in ads targeted specifically to your friends | No |
| Retain backups of the photo after you delete it | In some cases (e.g. legal requirements) |
| Adapt, modify or extract data from the photo | Yes |
| Re-share or distribute the photo outside of Facebook services | No |
The takeaway
While posting photos on Facebook grants them certain rights to use them, you still maintain full ownership and control. Facebook’s terms ensure they cannot claim copyrights or sell your photos without permission.
You decide privacy settings, can request takedowns, and can revoke access by deleting. Facebook’s usage is limited to operating their platforms and services.
So ultimately, Facebook does not own or take control of your photos when you share them – you retain copyright ownership as the creator.