If South Park is to be believed, not reading a site's terms of use can lead to some pretty unfortunate consequences. But even if we don't live in a world where Apple is secretly tricking you into becoming part of a human centipede, there are plenty of reasons we should pay attention to fine print.
Unfortunately, with most fine print being exceedingly wordy, it can be a challenge to wade through all the legalese and understand what it all means. That's where TOSDR comes in.
TOSDR (Terms of Service Didn't Read) is a site that breaks down and rates the terms and conditions on numerous sites. Sites are rated from Class A (very good) to Class E (very bad). In addition, TOSDR points out the good and bad things about each site, giving you insight into how they are rated.
Most of Google's products and services don't fare well with a rating between C and D. Sites like DuckDuckGo are given high A marks. Some sites like Facebook have yet to be rated, but the details offered on the social network's terms of use suggest that the rating won't be a good one.
If you want to contribute to the movement, you can go to edit.tosdr.org to submit your concerns or points of praise for any given service's terms of use.
TOSDR is not the only initiative that aims to educate users about their rights. Some cater directly to the younger users of social media sites who are even less likely to read, let alone understand, complex terms and conditions.
Earlier this year, a lawyer rewrote Instagram's over 5,000 word terms of use in language that can be easily understood by the teenagers on the service. Back in 2014, Adi Kamdar of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) tried to break down the terms and conditions of Facebook for laymen. (This is an issue of particular concern to EFF and they have plenty of content on the topic.)
It's too bad that little has changed in terms of people's attitudes since AJ+ created this video three years ago:
Do you read the terms of use before signing up for a site? Do you feel there's any risk in not doing so? Let us know in the comments.
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