I had a terrific portrait of myself on my instagram account. Since I no longer have the original file, nor the PSD format from photoshop, nor the edited JPG anywhere in my harddrives, it was obvious the only way I could obtain the picture would be by downloading it from my profile on instagram.
Except, you cannot download images from instagram. Not even your own.
While the idea of decentralization and ownership is still crawling its way into the popular opinion, it became clear there still was a major concept that we hadn't noticed, yet.
It is logical to dot the lines and reach the conclusion that once you have uploaded something on social media, it is no longer yours.
Yes, your nametag sticks at the top, people can see you have posted the material, but it really isn't yours anymore, is it?
For quite some time now, we have become aware of the disgusting atrocities mainstream social media have committed with the unchecked power they have obtained through us, naïve users.
From collecting and mining data, that has turned your mobile phone into a behavior learning megaphone outlet. Pushing and muting narratives to establish propaganda or influence your decisiveness, whether it be which brand of dog muzzle you purchase to national elections. Selling personal information and data to obtain massive unaccounted profits. The list is endless.
Now the hot topic is censorship. They can and have influenced who gets to voice their nonsense and who doesn't. But either ways, they themselves have no ownership once that voice is on social media.
Let us take the example of the new youtube changes to ads. Regardless of your partnership status, ads will run on your videos and you do not make a single buck off of it, unless youtube wants to. We have seen numerous partnered youtubers who have made $0 from their content in the name of "demonetization" built on any excuse possible. Now, any non-partnered uploader will get ads on their videos but still not make a single buck off of their hardwork.
Once uploaded, the platform has all rights to censor it, promote it, sell it, remove it, profit off it or outright fold it up and doggystyle it. You, can do nothing, but live with it just like you did when they calmly did all the naughty naughty with your content before.
Your creative toil, hardwork, indolence, or any effort is now part of their net worth. While the best you get are microshots of epinephrine every time the notification widget tings or a tiny red heart emoji shows up under your post.
Your work will still attract and retain people within the loop, in the form of fresh new content, while you cannot even download it back. Hell, it can be removed to ether forever, after they have profited off of it, may it be through machine learning or ad-magnetic behavior of your audience.
Your work is a part of you. And when you look at it that way: you are on sale once your work in uploaded. How much are you worth?