Looking for how to better please investors and improve ROI, Facebook and its photo-filtering and sharing service Instagram are risking to lose their users’ love and loyalty as a result of unpopular measures announced by the #1 social network yesterday.

Photo: courtesy of AFP

First off, Facebook has unveiled plans to automatically run 15-second video ads on user’s Timelines (most probably, shortened versions of 30-second TV commercials), approximately by April 2013, as AdAge reports. Moreover, desktop users will have to view an additional right-hand column with ads, expanding out of the news feed.

Secondly, Facebook-owned Instagram announced some major changes to its privacy policy which may certainly get outraged photo fans to delete their accounts in a move to protect their personal data. According to these amends, users must agree that Instagram will sell their uploaded photos, names, likeliness without a notice or any financial compensation. It literally means there is no way out rather than to delete all the photos and account in the social photo-sharing platform. New terms are to be effective as of January 16, 2013.

However, in response to user backlash and burst of negative media coverage Instagram posted a couple of hours ago a short update on its Twitter page and blog, commenting that «they have heard» the feedback and would probably revise the changes to privacy policy.

In the meantime, bloggers are thinking of free alternatives to Instagram. Hopefully, it is replaceable.