Terms of service
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Terms of service (also known as terms of use and terms and conditions, commonly abbreviated as ToS or TOS and TOU) are rules which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service.[1] Terms of service can also be merely a disclaimer, especially regarding the use of websites.
Contents
Usage
The Terms-of-Service Agreement is mainly used for legal purposes by websites and internet service providers that store a user's personal data, such as e-commerce and social networking services. A legitimate terms-of-service agreement is legally binding and may be subject to change.[2]
Content
A terms-of-service agreement typically contains sections pertaining to one or more of the following topics:
- Disambiguation/definition of key words and phrases
- User rights and responsibilities
- Proper or expected usage; potential misuse
- Accountability for online actions, behavior, and conduct
- Privacy policy outlining the use of personal data
- Payment details such as membership or subscription fees, etc.
- Opt-out policy describing procedure for account termination, if available
- Disclaimer/Limitation of Liability clarifying the site's legal liability for damages incurred by users
- User notification upon modification of terms, if offered
Public awareness
Terms of service are subject to change and vary from service to service, so several initiatives exist to increase public awareness by clarifying such differences in Terms, including:
- Copyright licensing on user content
- Transparency on government or law enforcement requests for content removal
- Notification of government or third-party requests for personal data
- Transparency of security practices
- Saved or temporary first and third-party cookies
- Data tracking policy and opt-out availability
- Pseudonym allowance
- Readability
- Notification and feedback prior to changes in Terms
- Availability of previous Terms
- Notification prior to information transfer in event of merger or acquisition
- Indemnification or compensation for claims against account or content
- Cancellation or termination of account by user and or service
Criticism and lawsuits
AOL
In 1994, the Washington Times reported that America Online (AOL) was selling detailed personal information about its subscribers to direct marketers, without notifying or asking its subscribers; this article led to the revision of AOL's terms of service three years later.
On July 1, 1997, AOL posted revised terms of service to take effect July 31, 1997, without formally notifying its users of the changes made, most notably a new policy which would grant third-party business partners, including a marketing firm, access to its members' telephone numbers. Several days before the changes were to take effect, an AOL member informed the media of the changes and the following news coverage incited a large influx of internet traffic on the AOL page which enabled users to opt out of having their names and numbers on marketing lists.[1]
Sony
In 2011 George Hotz and others were sued by Sony Corporation. Sony claimed that by violating the terms of service of the PlayStation Network, Hotz and others were committing breach of contract.[3]
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On December 17, 2012, Instagram announced a change to its terms of use that caused a widespread outcry from its user base. The controversial clause stated: "you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you".
There was no apparent option to opt out of the changed terms of use.[4] The move garnered severe criticism from privacy advocates as well as consumers. After one day, Instagram apologized saying that it would remove the controversial language from its terms of use.[5] Kevin Systrom, a co-founder of Instagram, responded to the controversy, stating,
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Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.[6]
Zappos
Some terms of service are worded to allow unilateral amendment, where one party can change the agreement at any time without the other party's consent. A 2012 court case In re Zappos.com, Inc., Customer Data Security Breach Litigation held that Zappos.com's terms of use, with one such clause, was unenforceable.[7]
See also
- Acceptable use policy
- Internet privacy
- Standard form contract
- Terms and Conditions May Apply (2013 film)
- Terms of Service; Didn't Read
References
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External links
- Terms of Service; Didn’t Read User rights initiative to rate and label website terms & privacy policies
- Electronic Frontier Foundation Donor-funded nonprofit organization for digital rights litigation
- Clickwrapped Ratings of the terms of service and related agreements of major consumer internet companies
