Can anyone help with a copyright issues - pictures Instagram?

[namechange0102]

Can anyone offer advise on the below. A friends ex husbands threatened legal action for copyright because she's screen shot some pictures off his page and sent them to friends?
All seems a bit extreme to me. They haven't been shared on the internet. Is it right someone can do this?

He owns the copyright to the pictures. By screenshotting them and sending them to friends, she has breached his copyright. It may not be worth his while taking legal action, but yes, he can.

Thanks for the clarification, seems so trivial x

I’m surprised given that things put into the public domain on social media tend to be a free for all

Apparently social media isn't the public domain

In copyright terms, "public domain" means works that are not protected by copyright. This may be because copyright has expired, or the copyright holder has expressly waived their rights, for example. Whilst posting something on social media clearly makes it available to everyone with access to the poster's account, it does not place it in the public domain for copyright purposes.

No he really can’t! Not once they're on social media. The images then belong to the social media company

Apparently Instagram has the right o use the images but the person who took the picture is the creator and therefore holds the copyright

Rubbish.

Posting something on social media does not pass ownership of the copyright to the social media company. The terms of use of the major social media platforms are very clear on this point. It merely grants them a license to use the copyright work. That license does not extend to anyone else.

Is his insta profile private?