I wanted to include social media icons in a tool I’m about to create, so I checked the official pages for each platform, only to discover that they aren’t something you can simply use as you please.
When you visit the official pages, there are download buttons for the social media icons, but it seems that just because you can download them from the official site doesn’t mean anyone is free to use them.
Downloading them is deemed to mean you’ve agreed to that brand’s terms and conditions, and if you use a brand that requires authorisation without applying for it, you could be sued and there’d be nothing you could do about it.
What’s more, even just placing a single icon requires you to adhere to a whole host of detailed rules.
Any modification is strictly prohibited, and depending on the brand, you may need to keep the icon updated to the latest version at all times, and you must also ensure that protected areas are maintained.
When you think about it that way, there’s absolutely no way you can use them casually, but at the same time, I don’t really feel like going to the trouble of applying for permission either.
So I’ve decided to stop using social media icons and stick to just the brand name in text form.
Particularly when using brand names to explain tools or features developed independently, I believe that displaying the text “for [brand name]” in a “standard font” is a workaround that allows you to operate safely without needing to apply for permission.
It’s a hassle to wade through all the detailed rules and terms and conditions, and they’re often difficult to understand. That’s exactly when NotebookLM comes in handy.
Whenever I need to check the terms and conditions, I paste the URL into NotebookLM and have it summarise the content in a way that’s easy to understand.
Rather than relying solely on my own judgement, I intend to continue making active use of NotebookLM in future.