TECHNOLOGY
Think BEFORE YOU CLICK ‘Accept’ BY TRINITI MAYE, JUNIOR, DEVRY UNIVERSITY ADVANTAGE ACADEMY
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ost apps require users to accept their terms and conditions before they allow you to have full access. Still, most people will accept without reading the agreement. A word of caution: Take the time to understand the app’s terms and conditions before you click “accept.” What are ‘Terms and Conditions’ and ‘Privacy Policies’? Terms and conditions are, according to TermsFeed.com, an “agreement that includes the terms, the rules and the guidelines of acceptable behavior, plus other useful sections, to which users must agree in order to use or access your website, mobile app or online service.” The privacy policy is an agreement that lets the user know what data the app or website is collecting and how they are using it. These are required by law and are only needed if personal information, such as your email address, first and last name, shipping address or phone number is used. The Importance of Reading Terms and Conditions Not every terms and conditions document is the same. Each app has specific rules (along with basic information) that they require you to abide by, and there are certain things these apps ask permission to access from your personal information. That includes being able to tap into your location, contacts, photos and microphone. The British tabloid Daily Mail ran an experiment where they had everyday people take the time to read the terms and conditions of apps. Most were shocked by what they read. One person even said, “I feel like I’m giving my life to an app.” Another said, “My mind goes to that difference between privacy and security.”
38 TRUE STAR MAGAZINE
According to Yahoo News, more than 500 million downloads of Pokéman Go have been made by people all across the globe, making it the most downloaded game ever. With numbers like that, it’s obvious that none of these people had a problem with Niantic, the game’s developer, having access to their Google accounts. If they read the terms and conditions, they would have known that. Details Matter You may ask yourself, “Why are these requirements set in place?” The importance of terms and conditions is to prevent abuse of the app. Abusing an app consists of spamming and/or disrespecting another user. Any abuse of the app will result in a suspension or a termination of the user’s account. The termination clause also allows users to remove their account whenever they feel a need to. These conditions are set to protect the owner and those behind the app or website. When it comes to a website, it informs the user that the owner is not responsible for any errors that may occur while on the website, and they are not responsible for false information presented on the website. “The intellectual property clause” states the owner of the website is the rightful owner of any logo and design of the website. So I Should Never Click Accept? It depends. In order to use most apps today, you have to agree to the developer’s terms. This is why reading is fundamental. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you can live with their demands. If you feel that you can’t, then don’t click accept.