NSPCCbook

The latest Facebook spampaign appears to be something some joker has invented purporting to raise awareness for the NSPCC. The message that millions of people (who are unable to think for themselves) are reposting as their status implies that if every Facebook user changes their profile picture to a cartoon character from their childhood, then child abuse will miraculously stop.

Right. And I’m Jesus. You might want to post that as your status: I could do with the publicity.

Disregarding the fact that the NSPCC usually use the Christmas season to gather gifts and focus on rehousing children in care, it is rather difficult to imagine the charity would willingly enter into a campaign that violates Facebook’s terms of service. Somewhere deep in the bowels of the social giant’s monolithic Ts & Cs will be a clause that states something along the lines of:

you must be the copyright holder for any pictures you upload to Facebook

Thus a question to all the people that posted pictures of Dangermouse, Bagpuss, Trap door or Mickey Mouse, etc: do you have the copyright over these images? If you don’t and you truly believe the NSPCC started this spampaign then you might be putting them in some legal hot water with copyright holders.

Bottom line: think before becoming one of the sheeple.