Whenever it is time to install software or sign-up for a new website, most of us will ignore the thousands of words and multiple pages of a privacy policy. We will rush to the end where the ever so friendly “I Agree” button is. This hypothetical situation has been conditioned into our minds to ignore the information. It almost seems that it is not socially accepted to sit there and read through the entire document.
Recently there was an article on Mashable.com, which discussed the reasons why so many people decide to pass over privacy policies. The article argues that the main reason why people disregard reading policies is time. “The average policy takes around 10 minutes to read.” Today’s day and age does not allow ten whole minutes of free time to completely comprehend a policy of over two thousand words. Or at least this is how it seems.
Another good point the article points out is the Opt Out feature on websites. According to the article, 72% of all websites allow users to decide whether they would like to receive extra information or be marketed to. The remainder of websites either automatically opt you in or send you a link to opt out.
It doesn’t seem that policies will be getting much shorter anytime soon. If people could put some time aside for reading privacy policies, they could learn right at that moment whether or not their information will be shared with third parties.
It does seem that peoples’ attitudes change when a physical document is placed in front of them. A lease for an apartment is a perfect example. I work in a leasing office for an off-campus apartment complex. The majority of people will have me go over the major points of the lease, such as utility caps and late fees, before signing the lease (clicking the “I Accept” button). Before leaving their signed lease in the office, future residents also request for full copies of the lease.
I believe that some people do not understand how advanced technology has come to be. I admit that I have skipped over many privacy policies in my past but I have learned to be cautious.
One effortless, careless click could agree to send all of your personal information to a third party.
If this has you thinking about your privacy, here is the link to Facebook’s privacy policy: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php
That's a really helpful comparison to draw between how people read the online and print "terms & conditions" statements. No doubt the time needed to read the policy is a big reason why people don't read them, but do you think there are any other reasons why people don't spend time reading them? I'm just speculating here, but is there any way in which people aren't reading these policies because they're thinking, "This technology stuff is too complicated anyway, so I'm never going to understand what's in the policy"? Or maybe their previous experiences reading and working with "terms & conditions" documents, even those in the print form, makes them think that they won't be able to understand the "legal" language? Note, for example, how at your job prospective renters ask you to go over the highlights of the terms & conditions document with them--I would guess they have a sense that you have a deep understanding of what's in the document, how the legal language works, and you'll be able to "translate" the material for them. If a person like you were available to talk through the terms & conditions of an online application like Facebook, do you think readers would take time to listen before clicking "I Agree"?
ReplyDelete