If your favorite digital services required you to read Shakespeare before signing up, would you still join them?
On the surface this requisite sounds absurd, yet the fine print behind popular websites’ terms and conditions often exceeds 10,000 words. PayPal’s T&Cs total an astounding 36,275 words which is a whopping 6,000 more than Hamlet. Not surprisingly, a survey conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that just 7% of people actually read the online terms and conditions when registering for products and services. Our recent Dishonesty Poll confirmed these results as “I have read and agreed to the terms and conditions” was the lie respondents said they were most guilty of (by a statistically significant margin!). In fact, even if a website does not explicitly direct a user to view their browse-wrap (another term for an agreement covering access to or use of a web property’s materials), their T&Cs are still fully enforceable.
To bring attention to these findings, on April Fools’, videogame retailer GameStation inserted a clause in their purchase agreement granting the company rights to their customers’ “immortal soul[s]”. Only 12% of people actually checked the opt-out box to this gag. Amidst growing privacy concerns, especially in the wake of the NSA leaks, user advocate groups and consumer watchdogs are also increasingly launching campaigns to bring attention to the monolithic terms and condition pages we routinely skip or at best skim. Terms of Service Didn’t Read (http://tosdr.org/) is a user rights initiative that rates and labels website terms and privacy policies from very good, Class A, to very bad, Class E. In addition, Sgrouples (https://sgrouples.com/), a website positioned as the “World’s Private Social Network” has taken note and formulated a concise “Privacy Bill of Rights” consisting of fewer than 200.
Do you think it is reasonable for companies to expect their consumers to read the full terms and conditions agreement or should our favorite websites be required to disclose this information in a more user-friendly format? Did you read MyOpinionNow.com’s “Terms of Use”?
11/30/2018 1:46 PM
hell yes. Shakespeare was a brilliant man
8/27/2018 12:43 AM
Lol, no way; seriously. 'Game Station' wow funny gag buying soul's. to answer the questions. 1. It is the signers responsibilty to read the terms and conditions, but; 2. companies SHOULD either make it short and to the point. 3. Yes.
1/1/2018 2:02 PM
I think companies should make the terms and conditions, privacy policy, etc. much easier for the consumer to read and understand. Sometimes there are several to agree to and limited time to read everything. There should be a simple and abbreviated version. There also should be bullet points and highlighted areas to be wary of. Everything should be no longer than two pages. The companies should also provide an option to view additional points of interest if the consumer sees a need to do so. But we should not be required to read a "volume" long agreement.
6/8/2017 5:19 PM
Correctly, I don´t read it, it should be more digestible for reader!
6/5/2017 8:20 AM
I don't think I have ever read the whole T&C at any site I have joined. Sad to say, but if they have to put so much into the T&C, I guess we don't really care? I have tried to read them, but... so much legal, technical stuff, only to help keep them legally safe from what I may do. Wish they had a limit to the T&C words, as said in another comment here, like 500 or less words, that should be sufficient to keep them from being sued and make it MY responsibility for what I do. Of course I am sure there is someone out there who would find a way to make them responsible for what is done, there is always someone who loves to sue the big companies, isn't there?
7/12/2016 9:17 PM
Companies used long T&C to protect themselves firm lawsuits. obviously they don't expect people to read them entirely unless is extremely necessary to do so. I read the T& C of the website just to make sure it was not a scam and my personal information is secure
7/12/2016 8:46 PM
Give the option to read the long complicated version but also give a summary at the bottom of what it all means, in simple terms. There's millions of people out there. some like to read, some like to read a little, or some won't read at all. It also depends on what it is they're reading, of course. maybe make the terms and conditions humorous and enjoyable somehow.
12/16/2015 12:01 AM
great
10/6/2015 1:03 PM
Most T & C's are ridiculously long! I try an scan through them sometimes. Mainly fer them hidden fees. Otherwise I do not read the term and conditions. If they were more reasonable in lentgh? 500 words? Max! Maybe even a standard set of terms and conditions would be nice.
8/18/2014 7:35 PM
Nice post!
7/29/2014 6:44 PM
great
7/26/2014 4:55 PM
I usually don't read it, unless i feel there might be some information i need to know, then i would skim for the main points or if its a small paragraph. Unless i feel i can't trust the site and thinking its a scam, i wouldn't read it. Usually if its waaay to long and signing up really isn't worth it, then i'll the leave all together.
6/26/2014 5:51 PM
I read yours
3/5/2014 7:53 PM
I am a great fan of Shakespeare , so i would not mind to read it.!!
12/20/2013 3:55 AM
I DIDN'T BOTHER TO READ THEM. OF COURSE, I USUALLY NEVER READ THEM. I'M A TRUSTING SOUL...TOO TRUSTING, SOME WOULD SAY. LOL
8/23/2013 5:52 PM
No Scam YAY!
8/21/2013 5:34 PM
I did read the terms and conditions for this website because I was scared that it could be a scam but I'm glad it's not.
8/19/2013 5:09 AM
We all know why companies have these long T&C (to cover their behinds from frivolous lawsuits) but, I would guess that the more reputable the company is, the less their T&C are read. We trust them so no need to read the T&C. However, I did read the T&C of myopinionnow.com because i wanted to see how my personal information was going to be used.