Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion going on about “Terms of Service”. Pinterest, Instagram and on Instacanvas have all been mentioned in these discussions. Some of it has to do with ownership of photos posted and some has to do with the topic of when funds are released. It definitely brings up concerns for people.
We all do it. We sign up for these services all excited. We see that little checkbox that says, “I agree to the Terms and Conditions”. What do we do? We check it. Do we read it? Most don’t.
Here’s my take on this. If you checked it, you agree to it. If you didn’t read it, but are now upset about it, then it’s really too late. Whether you knew it or not, you agreed to it. The terms shouldn’t really be a surprise and it’s your responsibility to read the fine print before signing (or checking).
This brings me to my open mic question this week: “Do you read the “terms of service” before, after or at all? When you find out later that you disagree with the terms, what do you do? Do you have an idea or solution that would work for everyone?” Let’s discuss!
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I never read the terms of service. Generally because if you decline, you can’t use the service anyway. Apple’s iTunes store TOS is a prime example.
It’s so lengthy and the print is so small, I just don’t have time to trawl through it. I am blindly agreeing.
If I was to find out at a later date that there was something I disagreed with, I would have to take a view on how it affected me first.
I don’t think there is an easy answer for simplifying TOS. The legal stuff needs to be out there in one format or another…..
I read terms and conditions if it’s something I’m looking to “get something” out of. Generally social media stuff doesn’t impact my life a whole lot, so I just check and go. Things that are related to art and writing specifically I will do a quick search for the words “copyright” and “cancellation”. This takes me right to the parts about what I keep as mine, and how to end the relationship. For my uses, this is usually sufficient. If there’s anything I’m not willing to “give away”, I just don’t put that stuff out there digitally.
Excellent question.
When I saw the big deal people were making on Pinterest I was pretty skeptical. What were the odds really going to be that someone was going to sue you. And furthermore, if an artist puts something online, then it becomes public domain. I think TOS could be put into less legal terms and could simplify the important parts. I personally don’t read them. I don’t have time and thus far I haven’t been “surprised” by any terms.