Facebook Hoax Spreads Online: This Common Facebook Post Doesn’t Mean Anything

So today, Your Facebook news feed was filled a message like this:

Better Safe than Sorry Right:
Channel 13 News was just talking about this change in Facebook Privacy Policy. As of January 4, 2015 at 11:43 am Eastern standard time, I DO NOT give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, all past, present, and future. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law 
(UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute). NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members MUST post a note like this. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in your profile status updates. 
DO NOT SHARE. You MUST COPY & PASTE!

Yes, it is a hoax, and there are all kinds of ways to determine that.  

First – there is no such protection from Facebook. Once you post, it belongs to FB as much as it belongs to you. Full stop.  (If you have time, check out FB’s Terms & Conditions).

A reference to Channel 13.  In Aotearoa, channel 13 belongs to Jones on SKY TV, so that’s a no. In the States, Channel 13 said no such thing.

Laws: UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute.  We checked those and they aren’t even relevant to such public statements or to online privacy protection.

Hoaxes are harmless but they do cause some light on how quickly a viral message might spread and worse, how gullible some of our friends might be, which in turn opens the possibility of online scams, which we have seen empty bank accounts and even cost reputations.

When you signed-up for Facebook, you read and agreed to their terms and conditions. Posting that blurb on your wall carries absolutely zero legal weight. This is just one of seven zillion rumors and false information that have spread across the social media site. And, as always, if you are concerned about Facebook or someone else looking at your pictures, don’t post them on an on-line community of 900,000,000 people.