The popular photography and stylised app was purchased by Facebook earlier this year and is widely used by both Apple and Android smartphone owners worldwide who fancy themselves as slick snappers.

The new terms could be described as downright creepy “To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”

With the sweeping changes effectively removing users rights to any of their photographs, CNET said the move would “effectively transform Instagram into the world’s largest stock photo agency.”

“You are not our customers, you are the cattle we drive to market and auction off to the highest bidder. Enjoy your feed and keep producing the milk. And keep telling us everywhere you go and what you see there. We’ll do the rest.” blogged Reginald Braithwaite, a writer and software developer.

Wired magazine has even come to the rescue with a handy guide on how to delete your Instagram account and retain all of your images before the new terms come into force in January 2013. 

Will this change to the terms of use put you off using Instagram in future? Or is this just another storm in the social media teacup?

See the winners from TNT’s Instagram travel photography competition here…

Main photo: Getty images