Instagram users, including Usher, Rob Lowe and Julia Roberts, shared a chain message warning their followers that the app was changing its privacy policy on Wednesday, allowing it to freely use anyone’s pictures and messages. The only issue: the chain message is a poorly-worded hoax.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, after seeing how quickly the hoax spread on Tuesday night, posted a brief notice on his Instagram Story.
“Heads up! If you’re seeing a message claiming Instagram is changing its rules [on Wednesday], it’s not,” he wrote, before sharing a link that debunked the viral post.
Still, a handful of celebrities — and a member of President Trump’s cabinet — were among those who were duped.
The hoax post was a block of text cautioning users that a new Instagram rule gave the Facebook-owned company the ability to use whatever its users post and say on the app — unless they re-shared the message, which blocked Instagram’s right to do so.
“Everything you’ve ever posted becomes public from today,” the post said. “Even messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. It costs nothing for a simple copy and paste, better safe than sorry.”
Actor Rob Lowe shared a copy of the hoax message on his Instagram. Some of the wording — including its final all-caps warning “INSTAGRAM DOES NOT HAVE MY PERMISSION TO SHARE PHOTOS OR MESSAGES” — was clipped. (via Instagram)
Not only did Usher, Lowe and Roberts opt to be “safe,” but so did Judd Apatow, Julianne Moore, Megan Rapinoe, Debra Messing and U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Instagram users probably noticed a few of their friends sharing the hoax on Tuesday night, as well.
“With this statement, I give notice to Instagram it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents,” the message added.
An Instagram rep told CNN “there is no truth” to the message. If this seems familiar, it’s because similar hoaxes have been a staple on Facebook for years.
Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez and 16 Other Instagram Stars Who Earn Major Bank for Each Post (Photos)
Ever wonder just how much influence your favorite influencers have on Instagram? Instagram post-scheduling tool Hopper HQ has compiled a list, reporting how much celebrities charge for each post they put forth on the social app owned by Facebook. The numbers range from a few thousand to $1 million dollars.
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Kylie Jenner ($1 million)
Reality star Kylie Jenner is the highest-paid Instagram influencer in the world, pulling in a whopping $1 million for a single post. She often uses the platform to promote her various beauty products. Jenner, who has 110 million followers on Instagram, is on track to become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, according to Forbes (a designation that has earned eye-rolling from some sectors of the Internet).
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Selena Gomez ($800,000)
Singer and actress Selena Gomez, who topped the list last year, now comes in at a very respectable second place, thanks to her estimated $800,000 per post. And she’s still in first place when it comes to number of Instagram followers: Gomez has 140 million of them.
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Cristiano Ronaldo ($750,000)
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world, and he also makes bank from his Instagram posts, with an estimated $750,000 per post. He has 133 million followers.
Reality star Kim Kardashian may not make quite as much as her younger half-sister, but she’s still doing well for herself, pulling in $720,000 per post. She has 113 million followers on Insta alone.
Beyoncé Knowles ($700,000)
One of the best-selling and most popular music artists of all time, Queen Bey is also a queen of Instagram, earning $700,000 per post for her 115 million followers.
Dwayne Johnson ($650,000)
The Rock -- aka everyone’s favorite wrestler-turned-movie superstar -- comes in at sixth place, earning $650,000 per post. He has 109 million followers.
Though Justin Bieber makes $630,000 dollars per post, his Instagram presence can be at times enigmatic. In a post dated May 8, he wrote “HEY WORLD THAT GLAMOROUS LIFESTYLE YOU SEE PORTRAYED BY FAMOUS PEOPLE ON INSTAGRAM DON’T BE FOOLED THINKING THEIR LIFE IS BETTER THAN YOURS I CAN PROMISE YOU IT’S NOT!”
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Neymar da Silva Santos Junior ($600,000)
With more than 101 million followers, the Brazilian soccer star rakes in $600,000 dollars with each post. Most of his photos are of him on the field, but his feed also features sponsored posts with Nike.
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Lionel Messi ($500,000)
It seems as though out of all athletes, soccer players have the most clout on Instagram. Messi, the famous Argentine player, charges clients half a million dollars for each Instagram post.
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Kendall Jenner ($500,000)
The other half of the Jenner duo doesn’t make nearly as much as her sister, in fact she only makes half of what Kylie does for each post. At the end of the day, half of $1 million isn’t too shabby.
The youngest Kardashian sister makes just under half a million dollars for each of her posts, which, combined with her clothing line and television shows, makes for a sizeable income stream.
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David Beckham ($300,000)
It may surprise some that soccer superstar Beckham landed 12th on this list, considering his entire family is impossibly famous.
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Stephen Curry
Basketball player Stephen Curry is often called the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA, and he’s also a star on Instagram, earning $110,000 a post for his 20.9 million followers.
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Floyd Mayweather
Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather -- one of the highest-paid athletes in the world and one of the most successful boxers in history -- earns $107,000 per post. He has 20.4 million followers.
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Bella Hadid
American model Bella Hadid -- the younger sister of model Gigi Hadid -- earns $27,000 per post and has 18.7 million followers.
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Emily Ratajkowski ($26,500)
Ratajkowski has worked with many clothing brands including DKNY and The Kooples. But nowadays, it seems like the “Gone Girl” actress mostly advertises her own swimwear line, Inamorata.
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Gordon Ramsay ($5,500)
Though meager compared to some of the higher ups in the list, Ramsay still makes thousands of dollars per post. The “Hell’s Kitchen” host seems much more approachable on Instagram, with selfies and photos of him doing goat yoga.
An expert in all things home cooking and decor, the television host’s Instagram looks more like a Pinterest board, with mouthwatering dishes and colorful rooms.
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Jenner leads the pack with $1 million dollars per update
Ever wonder just how much influence your favorite influencers have on Instagram? Instagram post-scheduling tool Hopper HQ has compiled a list, reporting how much celebrities charge for each post they put forth on the social app owned by Facebook. The numbers range from a few thousand to $1 million dollars.