No, Facebook Is Not Making Your Data Public, Viral Privacy Claim Debunked

A familiar rumor is once again circulating on Facebook, claiming that the social media platform is about to make users’ personal data and photos public unless they post a specific legal notice on their profiles.

Viral Statement

The viral post, written in a formal “declaration” style, reads in part:

“I hereby declare that I, [Name], do not grant Facebook or Meta any permission to use my personal information and photos. Tomorrow is an important day, officially stamped at 9:20 PM tonight, and this news has been broadcast on TV. Facebook’s new rules will come into effect from tomorrow, allowing the use of your photos. The deadline ends today. Please copy this message and paste it into a new post on your profile. Those who do not do so will be considered to have granted permission. Violation of privacy may result in legal consequences…”

Similar posts have appeared repeatedly over the past decade, each time with slightly different wording. Earlier versions made no mention of a specific time, date, or TV broadcast. This latest iteration, however, claims that a decision was made at exactly 9:20 PM , a detail that did not appear in earlier versions.

Factcheck

Fact-checking archives show that this claim first surfaced in 2012. Old versions of the post are still accessible through the Wayback Machine, a free online tool that allows users to view and recover archived web pages, even deleted ones. Over the years, new details have been added to keep the rumor circulating.

Facebook has repeatedly and categorically denied the claim. The company says it does not make users’ private photos or information public without consent. Ads shown on the platform are targeted based on specific user data, but only with the user’s permission.

Users can also access a detailed, free report from Facebook showing exactly what data is being used and where. The link to obtain this information is available in the comments section of the original fact-check.

The bottom line: This viral post is false. Posting a “privacy notice” on your Facebook wall has no legal effect, and the claim that the platform will make your data public without permission is unfounded.