Originally posted by talgarik Can't help but wonder: if Instagram terms are so bad how come that so many professionals - individual photographers and institutions, art galleries and magazines - publish their material on that platform?
I don't think Instagram has abused their users as much as they might legally be permitted to abuse them.
Many people don't fully understand the Terms of Service (TOS). Remember that a team of attorneys wrote it in their favor. It's cost-prohibitive for every user to do the same.
My admittedly limited understanding is that Instagram has the option to resell your photos and give you nothing. Taken to an extreme, let's pretend you post a great travel photo on Instagram. The local tourism council wants to use it in an ad campaign. You quote a price of $500. Instagram, meanwhile, starts selling photos for $1.99, and the tourism council goes there to legally use your photo.