I’ve been asked whether I regret deleting my Instagram account after Instagram’s recent volte face. I don’t, but I do regret opening my second Instagram account in the first place.
When Facebook bought Instagram earlier this year I deleted my account. I have a problem with Facebook, I’ve never really “got it” and their approach to security and privacy bother me. I didn’t want Facebook selling my photos, selling data about my photos or advertising to me so I voted with my feet.
But later in the year I was convinced by friends and family to reopen my Facebook account, and so thought if I’m going to be “Zuckerberg’s bitch” I might as well go the whole hog and open another Instagram account. So I did.
A number of events have made me re-evaluate my relationship with social networks, and my use of free apps and services. I’d been wondering about the business model of certain apps I used, Aral Balkan’s excellent talk The True Cost of Free at the last MK Geek Night really got me thinking, and then Instagram reminded us all that we are the product.
Facebook have shown their intentions with regard to Instagram; they’ll be back with revised terms in 2013, and they will sell their users, and to their users.
So not only have I deleted my Instagram account (again), but I’ve also deleted my Facebook account (again), and my Foursquare account (again).
I’m now using paid services and apps wherever possible – I’d rather be the customer than the product.