Let there be no doubt: Instagram users were very, very upset about the proposed terms-of-service changes that the company rolled out -- then tried to explain away -- this week. On Monday, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing service let users know that some changes would be taking effect in mid-January, among them the following:
"... 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."
Many readers took this to mean that Instagram would be selling off people's photos willy-nilly to advertisers. Something of an Instarevolt took place, with users registering their disgust under the tags #instafraud, #instascam, #deleteaccount, #leavinginstagram, #byeinstagram, #f*ckyouinstagram and so forth. By Tuesday, Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom was doing damage control, announcing via blog post that "it is not our intention to sell your photos" and that "we do not have plans for anything like this." Systrom also wrote that the "confusing" language in the terms and conditions would be replaced with more precise wording.
Systrom's follow-up seems to have placated many users, though some have noted that the company's not-quite-mea-culpa comes with a bit of wiggle room. "I don't trust what companies tell us about their 'plans,'" The Atlantic's Alexis Madrigal wrote after Tuesday's announcement. Other writers, like Will Oremus at Slate, have pointed out that Instagram still hasn't spoken to some of the larger problems embedded in the new terms of service, like the fact that it strips users of most legal rights if they want to seek redress on the company.
Below, we've collected some of the photos from Monday's initial surge of anger, as well as a few cooler-headed images that appeared after Systrom's Tuesday blog post. If you'd like to add your own images to the slideshow, just click the green "Add Photos" button below.