Instagram's new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service go into effect tomorrow - but don't hit the 'delete' button on your account just yet.

Remember back in December when Instagram quietly made changes to their Privacy Policy to include the following clauses:

1. 1. Instagram does not claim ownership of any Content that you post on or through the Service. Instead, you hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the Content that you post on or through the Service, except that you can control who can view certain of your Content and activities on the Service as described in the Service's Privacy Policy, available here: http://instagram.com/legal/privacy/.


3. 2. 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. If you are under the age of eighteen (18), or under any other applicable age of majority, you represent that at least one of your parents or legal guardians has also agreed to this provision (and the use of your name, likeness, username, and/or photos (along with any associated metadata)) on your behalf.


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

After much understandable outrage and many threats from users to drop the service, Instagram quickly backpedaled in a blog post titled "Thank you, and we're listening."

The vague blog didn't seem to clear up many questions for users and the revised version of Instagram's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use aren't too clear either.

The previous questionable clauses were replaced with one stating,

"We may share User Content and your information (including but not limited to, information from cookies, log files, device identifiers, location data, and usage data) with businesses that are legally part of the same group of companies that Instagram is part of, or that become part of that group ("Affiliates"). Affiliates may use this information to help provide, understand, and improve the Service (including by providing analytics) and Affiliates' own services (including by providing you with better and more relevant experiences). But these Affiliates will honor the choices you make about who can see your photos."

Today, Instagram sent out an email to its users again emphasizing that user's own their photos:

"And remember, these updates don't change the fact that you own your photos that you post on Instagram, and our privacy controls work just as they did before."

Hmm... so what does all of this mean?

To put it in layman's terms, you still own your photos but Instagram can now share more of your information and data with their parent company, Facebook, and any other affiliates.

What will they do with your photos?

The clause loosely states that affiliates may only use your content to improve their service for you. While it has yet to be seen how this will play out, the clause is not unlike many privacy policies already in use for similar social media sites.

For the time being, we'll still be sharing photos from our photographers on the official Chicago Sun-Times Instagram account.