Stars like Debra Messing, Rob Lowe, Usher and so many more fell for a hoax going around on Instagram about the site being able to use their content in court.
It all started Tuesday, when a very bad photoshop image started floating around on the social media site that in part read, “Don’t forget tomorrow starts the new Instagram rule where they can use your photos. Don’t forget Deadline today!!! It can be used in court cases in litigation against you,” per TMZ in a piece published Wednesday
“Everything you’ve ever posted becomes public from today Even messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed,” it added. (RELATED: Pink Hits Back At Report Saying She Canceled Her Concert To Relax At Beach [PHOTOS])
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The hoax image continued, “I do not give Instagram or any entities associated with Instagram permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future. With this statement, I give notice to Instagram is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents.” (RELATED: Julia Roberts Is Spilling Out Of Her Dress At Cannes Film Festival)
The catch about all of this was that when people sign up to be on Instagram they agree to the site’s privacy policy which states that they have already gave permission under the site’s Terms & Conditions for their content.
Julia Roberts, Taraji Henson, 2 Chainz, Scooter Braun, Judd Apatow, Josh Brolin, Adriana Lima, Rita Wilson, Julianne Moore, T.I and more reposted the image sharing on their social media account and making comments that they backed the words, according to Buzzfeed.
Later, when it was revealed that it was a joke, many of them took it down, with performers like Pink mocking herself for believing it.
She captioned her post, “Awww look at that pretty face” along with a laughing face emoji.
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And talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres used the Instagram hoax to promote her show, using similar font and bold type text as the joke image.
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Always a good rule, don’t believe everything you see on the internet folks!