To make up for pesky competition from the Internet, the owner of an Australian retail store is charging patrons $5 for “just looking”, in order to offset losses from shoppers who browse and then buy online. “If you’re going to be asking bucketloads of questions, you’ve got to pay for the information,” said Celiac Supplies owner, Georgina, to the Brisbane Times, who asked that her last name not be published, after her store’s policy inadvertently went viral and led to Internet infamy.

On her window, she posted the following notice:

“As of the first of February, this store will be charging people a $5 fee per person for “just looking.”
The $5 fee will be deducted when goods are purchased.
Why has this come about?
There has been high volume of people who use this store as a reference and then purchase goods elsewhere. These people are unaware our prices are almost the same as the other stores plus we have products simply not available anywhere else.
This policy is line with many other clothing, shoe and electronic stores who are also facing the same issue.”

According to the Times, 4 people have coughed up the $5, meaning her policy has earned a solid $20, which I’m sure is more than enough money to make up for harassing most of the customers who walk through her door.

Watch the full interview between the shop owner and the Brisbane Times below, complete with awesome Australian accents.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Facebook has updated its policy for pages’ cover photos, eliminating rules against calls to action, contact info or references to price or purchase information, while maintaining the 20 percent limit for text overlay.

The new guidelines give page owners more flexibility in the type of content they include in their covers. Many were unaware of these rules or simply ignored them knowing Facebook was unlikely to take action against them for their violations. The latest guidelines for pages regarding cover photos is:

All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text.

It is unclear when exactly these new guidelines were implemented, as Facebook did not update the date on its guidelines to reflect the change. We learned of this new policy from author Mari Smith, who was tipped off by Hugh Briss of Social Identities and Andrea Vahl of Grandma Mary – Social Media Edutainer. [Update: Facebook tells us this change went into effect on March 6, and the guidelines page has been updated to reflect this.]

The previous rules in place since December 2012 were as follows:

Covers may not include:
i.    images with more than 20% text;
ii.    price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”;
iii.    contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section;
iv.    references to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features; or
v.    calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

Photos that appeared in News Feed ads previously had similar stipulations, but those were removed earlier this year. Now, rules for cover photos and ad images are consistent. This is important as cover photos are beginning to be included in both organic and sponsored page-Like stories in News Feed.

Read also: Facebook explains how 20% text overlay policy for ads is enforced

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Since Facebook changed its policy to limit text overlay in News Feed ads to no more than 20 percent of an image’s area, many advertisers have been scratching their heads over why some seemingly compliant ads are being rejected and why other text-heavy ads make it through.

We spoke to a member of Facebook’s policy team to get a better understanding of how this new rule is enforced and what the company is doing to improve consistency and clarity for advertisers, such as building a public-facing version of the tool it uses internally to review images.

The first thing to recognize is that Facebook uses a combination of manual and automated review to verify ads. All ads will go through the automated system, which includes a grid-based text overlay detection tool. Then only a percentage of ads will be reviewed by humans. This would explain why enforcement of the 20 percent rule is sometimes inconsistent.

Facebook says that text on actual products does not count toward the 20 percent since it is a natural part of the photo and not a text overlay. However, the automated systems might not be able to tell the difference between text on a product and text in a logo, which would count toward the 20 percent. Unless the ad was among the sample reviewed manually, it might get rejected. As with any automated system, there are occasionally false positives. We’ve seen examples where graphics that aren’t text seem to trigger Facebook’s system and prevent the ad from being approved.

To help advertisers ensure that their images comply, Facebook is developing an external version of the grid-based tool it uses to detect text overlay. On Friday, the company began testing this with managed clients working directly with Facebook. Eventually this tool could be rolled out to Power Editor so advertisers can use the same grid that the social network uses internally. Many people have developed their own grids to gauge whether their ads will comply, but some have found that these don’t always match up with how Facebook judges their images. When Facebook offers its own tool, advertisers will be able to know more immediately if their ads will be approved.

Here’s Facebook’s official word on the 20 percent rule, according to the Help Center, along with its examples of acceptable and unacceptable images:

• For ads and sponsored stories that appear in News Feed, the amount of space the text in your image takes up may not exceed 20%. Examples of promoted content this applies to include promoted page posts, app install ads, offers or any other ad or sponsored story with placement in News Feed. For example, event ads use the event’s photo for its image, so your event’s photo should not have more than 20% text if you plan to promote it in people’s News Feeds.

• This 20% text policy does not apply to pictures of products that include text on the actual product. Photos of products in real situations or photos of products with a background are acceptable. Images that are zoomed in on logos or images with text overlay are not allowed. We will also not allow images that are clearly edited to include text on the product as a loophole to policy.

• Remember, this limit only applies to ads and sponsored stories that appear in News Feed. Unpromoted photos you post from your page can have any amount of text.

Instagram asked a federal court on Wednesday to throw out a class action lawsuit filed by users upset over the photo-sharing app’s changes to its terms of service. The lawsuit was brought against the service in December by an Instagram user who accused it of breach of contract, among other claims.

As many people will recall (because the controversy dragged on for a while), an update in Instagram’s terms of service and privacy policy, which was introduced so it could better collaborate with Facebook after the social networking service purchased it, upset and confused users who worried that their photos would be sold or used in ads without their permission. Instagram founder Kevin Systrom changed the problematic wording in the policy, but it kept language indicating “that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.” Instagram also kept wording that gives it the ability to place ads related to user content, as well as a new a new mandatory arbitration clause that means users waive their rights to participate in class action lawsuits under almost all circumstances (the lawsuit came before the new TOS went in effect on January 19).

The lawsuit, filed by San Diego law firm Finkelstein & Krinsk, alleged that even if users delete their Instagram account, they forfeit rights to photos they have already uploaded to the service. In its filing on Wednesday, Instagram argued that plaintiff Lucy Funes has no right to bring her claim because she could have deleted her account before the changes in the terms of service went int effect. The changes were announced on December 17, before Systrom changed them a few days later in response to the controversy. Funes filed her lawsuit on December 21, about a month before new terms of service went into effect on January 19, and continued to use her account after that day, according to Instagram’s filing.

Instagram also disputed Funes’ claims that the policy changes meant she transferred rights to her photos to the company.

We have reached out to Facebook and Finkelstein & Krinsk for comment.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

Facebook re-enables photo tag suggestions – Facebook announced Thursday that it is re-enabling the photo tag suggestion feature in the U.S., which uses facial recognition to help users identify  friends in their photos. The controversial feature launched in late 2010, and was removed temporarily last year while Facebook made technical improvements and considered privacy matters. The feature uses algorithms to group photo uploads by those with similar faces, then it suggests friends those faces may belong to by matching them with previously tagged photos of friends. Users can adjust or approve those tags. The feature is on for users by default.

Facebook launches Ask Our CPO feature -  Facebook this week launched an Ask Our CPO feature, which allows users to submit questions, concerns and feedback about privacy issues to the company’s chief privacy officer, Erin Egan, who will respond to some questions each month. The feature works as an app on the Facebook Privacy page and is part of Facebook’s attempts to give users more opportunities to raise important matters and get responses from the company, especially after the social network eliminated the option for user votes on policy changes late last year.

Facebook makes payout policy stricter for developers in some countries - Facebook has added new requirements for authentication for new developers using PayPal in China, India, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Norway and some other markets, according to TechCrunch. Facebook now requires identification in the form of photo IDs or incorporation papers for a developer’s business. The social network previously did this for developers in these regions who requested direct deposits, but now those using PayPal will also be under additional scrutiny.

Zuckerberg, Systrom win tech awards – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom took home “Crunchies,” tech awards voted on by the public. Zuckerberg won CEO of the Year and Systrom won Founder of the Year. Karma/Facebook Gifts was the runner-up in the Best E-Commerce Application category, but was edged by Fab. The Crunchies are hosted by TechCrunch, GigaOm and VentureBeat to honor startups, founders and venture capitalists.

Facebook partners with Cleantech for contest – Facebook partnered with market intelligence firm Cleantech Group for the Cleantech Goes Social contest to support the development of ways to use Facebook to promote the use of clean energy and environmental education. Contestants can submit pitches for products, apps or services that integrate Facebook to promote environmental sustainability. The winning submission will be awarded a $25,000 prize and receive personalized guidance from Cleantech Group and Facebook on further development of the concept.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Instagram revealed an update to its terms of service Thursday night after facing criticism for the policy it proposed earlier this week. The company decided to reinstate its original section on advertising and made a few other tweaks to clarify that it does not plan to sell user photos.

Instagram’s original language regarding ads is actually less specific and legally allows the same type of advertising that Instagram implied it might create under its new terms, but returning to its previous ad terms gives the company the appearance of concession and looks like a bigger win for users than if Instagram had simply rewritten that section.

On Monday, Instagram laid out a new privacy policy and terms of service to better reflect its status as an affiliate of Facebook and pave the way for some form of social advertising in the future. Many users were surprised and confused about what Instagram proposed regarding advertising, which said,

“…you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”

Despite the fact that the description matches exactly what Facebook has done for years with Sponsored Stories and other social ads, some media outlets wrongly interpreted this clause as giving Instagram the right to sell photos to advertisers for use in print, web or TV ads. The photo sharing company was vilified as a result, and finally decided to go back to its original language about advertising.

“Some of the Service is supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions, and you hereby agree that Instagram may place such advertising and promotions on the Service or on, about, or in conjunction with your Content. The manner, mode and extent of such advertising and promotions are subject to change without specific notice to you.”

“You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.”

In a blog post explaining Instagram’s plans, CEO Kevin Systrom apologized for the confusion and iterated, “Instagram has no intention of selling your photos, and we never did. We don’t own your photos – you do.” Systrom said the company will continue to consider advertising opportunities, but won’t amend its terms of service until it has a more specific idea of what these ads will involve:

Going forward, rather than obtain permission from you to introduce possible advertising products we have not yet developed, we are going to take the time to complete our plans, and then come back to our users and explain how we would like for our advertising business to work.

Instagram’s latest terms of service go into effect Jan. 19. Users can compare the new and old versions on the company’s site.

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Facebook is changing its policy regarding text overlay on photos in pages’ cover photos and News Feed ads to limit text to no more than 20 percent of an image’s area.

Previously, Facebook restricted the use of ”calls to action” and “price and purchase information” in photos because it wanted to prevent advertisers from sharing images that looked like traditional banner ads. The policy was vague and not always followed or enforced. The new policy set to go into effect Jan. 15 is much clearer, and Facebook has told partners that it is preparing tools to help advertisers be compliant.

Ad Guidelines Section III.D now says:

“Ads and sponsored stories for News Feed that originate from Pages may not include images with more than 20% text.”

News Feed ads may now use calls to action or purchase information in photos as long as the text makes up less than 20 percent of the image. Cover photos still have restrictions on the type of text that can be used.

Pages Terms Section III.B reads:

Covers may not include:

i.    images with more than 20% text;

ii.    price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”;

iii.    contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section;

iv.    references to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features; or

v.    calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Instagram today introduced new terms of use that will allow data sharing with Facebook and includes language suggesting that an advertising product similar to Facebook’s Sponsored Stories could be in the app’s future.

Instagram is updating its terms to reflect its new ownership by Facebook, just as Facebook recently amended its data use policy to allow data to be shared among its affiliates. Instagram notes that nothing has changed about who can see a user’s photos, but explains:

“Our updated privacy policy helps Instagram function more easily as part of Facebook by being able to share info between the two groups. This means we can do things like fight spam more effectively, detect system and reliability problems more quickly, and build better features for everyone by understanding how Instagram is used.”

Logically, this may also involve sharing data for advertising purposes. Facebook has been aggressively monetizing its own mobile app through Sponsored Stories and a number of new ad units this year. It’s unclear how long the company will wait before bringing ads to Instagram, but when it does, they may include social context similar to ads on Facebook. New language in Instagram’s terms of use states:

Some or all of the Service may be supported by advertising revenue. To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.

This addresses an issue that came up with Facebook’s Sponsored Stories product. The company was recently faced with a class action suit where users claimed they deserved compensation for having their name and photos included in ads. Facebook agreed to a $20-million settlement, which includes a cash payment of up to $10 to Facebook users who objected to this use of their information. It continues to use people’s names and images along with Sponsored Stories.

Instagram may offer similar units in the future. An advertiser might pay to promote stories about users following their brand or liking one of their photos. There might also be a way in the future for advertisers to promote user-generated photos to their friends, for example including a Like or follow button to help companies build an audience.

Instagram’s updated terms of use will go into effect on Jan. 16, 2013. The existing terms can be viewed here.

Related article: How Facebook could monetize Instagram

Article courtesy of Inside Facebook

Today, the dark day Syria shut down its Internet, web freedom should be at the very forefront of all of our minds. Next Monday, several hundred government ministers and tech-bureaucrats from around the world will descend on Dubai for a meeting of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations agency “committed to connecting the world”. This meeting, known as the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), will be focused on redrafting a 1988 treaty that actually governs the ITU.

Cutting through all the bureaucratic bullshit, WCIT is a meeting that threatens to extend UN sanctioned global regulations over the Internet. And it could be really really bad news for all of us who care passionately about an open and free worldwide web.

Earlier this week, Stanford Law School hosted an event entitled Sticky WCIT: Is This The End Of The Internet. It featured a number of experts on global Internet governance including the former Assistant Secretary for Communications in the Clinton administration Larry Irving, the former U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy David Gross and CALinnovates executive director Mike Montgomery. I went and interviewed (yes, I’m an amateur cameraman) Montgomery, Irving and Gross about the dangers of the new ITU treaty.

So I asked could WCIT really mean the end of the Internet? Could it mean the end of the free flow of digital information across analog borders? Could it suffocate online innovation? Might it, as the Russians have already proposed, result in the canning of ICANN? Most disturbingly of all, could it create UN sanctioned legal cover for broad Internet censorship?

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

That’s a wrap! After today’s press conference, many of you can’t wait to pre-order a brand new iPad mini or any of the other devices announced today.

The iPad has been updated with a fourth generation model. It now comes with Lightning, improved LTE connectivity and the A6X.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro now has a Retina brother. It comes with flash memory and is much thinner.

Apple has completely redesigned the iMac to be thinner and better. The Mac Mini received an update as well.

Head over to the Apple Store to pre-order.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch