Facebook users of the world's largest social network were inundated with messages on their news feeds reposted by friends that warned that if they did not act fast, Facebook would be allowed to infringe on their privacy.
According to USA Today, the Facebook privacy hoax plays on real concerns that consumers have about how their personal information might be used by other Internet giants who have in the past experienced accusations of violating their users' privacy.
One of these hoaxes, which is a years-old Facebook hoax, is making the rounds again giving the users false hope that a simple status update will lock down their accounts and protect the photos and videos they share.
The status on Facebook hoax contains a sentence that intends to prevent Facebook from using its user's contents. In reference to the message, pasting the message on your wall prevents the social media company from using your photos or anything else on your profile.
Here is what the latest one looks like: "As of (date), 2015 at 10:50p.m. Eastern Standard Time, I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents."
The Facebook privacy hoax promises to exempt those who repost a legal-like statement from Facebook's data use policy which is a document that governs how Facebook may use its members' data that they agree to when they sign up to use the service.
The other Facebook privacy hoax says users can protect their privacy by purchasing a $5.99 month subscription to ensure their posts do stay private, PC Advisor reported.
The excerpt is: "Now its official! It has been published in the media. Facebook has just released the entry price: $5.99 to keep the subscription of your status to be set to "private." If you paste this message on your page, it will be offered free (I said paste not share) if not tomorrow, all your posts can become public."
The California-based Internet giant has however warned users to be wary of these privacy hoaxes in the past and the recent round. The company's efforts have not yet stopped users from fearing these Privacy Hoaxes as the users have still been posting the hoax privacy post in one form or another since 2012.