The hoax message urges people to share to prevent Instagram using account-holders’ own photos against them in court.
Rick Perry, the politician in charge of the United States’ nuclear weapons, was among thousands of users to share for a debunked Instagram scam this week.
Mr Perry, the US Secretary of State for Energy, posted the viral hoax – which falsely claims a “new Instagram rule” will allow the social network to use account holders’ photos against them in court cases – on his account on Tuesday, adding: “Feel free to repost!! #nothanksinstagram.”
The post from the former Governor of Texas members prompted mockery from other users, with one writing: “YOU HANDLE NUCLEAR BOMBS??????”
“I’d like to introduce you to a Nigerian prince,” replied another, referencing a famous email scam which urges people to loan money in return for receiving a larger amount at a later date.
Mr Perry later appeared to claim that he was aware of the hoax, commenting “OMG… seriously, you mean this is fake”.
The social network, which is owned by Facebook, has asserted that the viral post is fake, with head of Instagram Adam Mosseri tweeting: “If you’re seeing a meme claiming Instagram is changing its rules tomorrow, it’s not true.”
Contrary to the claims in the hoax, social media users who upload their photos or videos to Instagram still retain ownership of the copyright.
However, the Governor is not the only famous person to have shared the warning, which encourages users to state: “I do not give Instagram or any entities associated with Instagram permission to use my pictures, information, messages or posts, both past and future.”
Hollywood actor Rob Lowe and R&B singer Usher both shared the meme, with the latter writing: “Better safe than sorry.”
After seeing his father’s post, Lowe’s son Johnny replied: “Oh god.”
The trend prompted comedian Trevor Noah to fashion his own version, warning: “Don’t forget today start the new day of a hoax people fall for in the internet.
“If you want to stop this you must repost this message which is a real contract and you can tell it is very real because the grammar and speling is perfect.”
BERLIN (AP) — The German parliament voted Thursday to introduce an annual national “veterans' day” to honor people who have served in the military, which often has struggled to gain recognition in the country.
The proposal was drawn up by the parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party governing coalition together with the main opposition conservative bloc, and was approved by nearly all parties in the Bundestag, parliament's lower house.
It says a “veterans' day” should be celebrated “publicly and visibly” every June 15. It also calls for improved follow-up care for people wounded while serving in the German military, the Bundeswehr.
The motion “is a strong, important and, yes, an overdue signal of recognition and appreciation,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told lawmakers.
Post-World War II Germany has generally been uncomfortable with militarism and war, and the country emerged slowly from its postwar military shell after reunification in 1990. Then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl broke a taboo against German troops serving abroad by sending military medics to support the U.N. mission in Cambodia in 1992.
More robust military deployments abroad, for example in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Mali, later became a mainstay of the Bundeswehr's activities.
In 2008, Germany introduced a new military decoration for bravery, giving troops the possibility of earning such an honor for the first time since World War II. A memorial to soldiers killed while serving in the Bundeswehr was built at the Defense Ministry in Berlin and inaugurated in 2009.
But even now, “the word ‘veteran’ is little used in our society, and this must come to an end,” said Johannes Arlt, a lawmaker with Scholz's center-left Social Democrats who has served as an air force officer. “We need more visibility and we need more recognition for our soldiers and veterans, and that's why we need a veterans' day in Germany.”
The Bundeswehr was founded in 1955, serving first as West Germany’s military and, since 1990, as that of the reunited Germany. More than 10 million people have served in it over the decades.
Germany launched a drive to modernize the Bundeswehr and increase its military spending shortly after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
FILE - A soldier is seen in front of the 'Military Memorial of the German Bundeswehr' in Berlin Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. The German parliament voted Thursday for the introduction of an annual national “veterans' day” to honor the service of people who have served in the military, which often has struggled to gain recognition in the country. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
