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The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

bloomberg.com

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Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#2

Post by bobm_kite9 »

What I want is a standardized set of icons, which grant or deny specific things, that all websites can agree on, sort of like the ones available for software licensing, here:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

It would be great if we could "standardize away" the whole T&C fiasco.

Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#3

Post by alex_young »

How can PayPal rationalize closing accounts because users opened them years ago when they were too young? Is that really an issue for a 28 year old?

Contract or no, PayPal looks really bad here. One would think they would be looking for good will rather than this kind of press in such a competitive market.

Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#5

Post by ben_w »

> If a typical user wouldn’t understand the [user agreement documents], the consent that companies rely on for their business activities would be legally invalid.

I’ve not had time to read the GDPR, so this is news to me.* Especially surprising, because it’s exactly what I want the law to say, and I’m not used to that.

I’d also like that principle to apply to the law as a whole, but I appreciate that’s as much wishful thinking as hoping to read and understand the full source-code of everything on my phone.

* fortunately not my problem, family matters replaced the day job.

Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#6

Post by jgh »

Why is obfuscating the intentions of a document in dense language most people can't properly understand a thing that's allowed to be upheld? They might as well write the damn things in Esperanto for all they're worth to most of the folks who click agree.

Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#8

Post by ams6110 »

> If a typical user wouldn’t understand the documents, the consent that companies rely on for their business activities would be legally invalid.

I like that standard, seems to comport to the "meeting of the minds" requirement for a valid legal agreement/contract.

Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#9

Post by jschwartzi »

alex_young wrote: post #3

How can PayPal rationalize closing accounts because users opened them years ago when they were too young? Is that really an issue for a 28 year old? Contract or no, PayPal looks really bad here. One would think they would be looking for good will rather than this kind of press in such a competitive market.

Yeah, why wouldn't they just contact her and lock her account until she re-signs? That way they both win. She's clearly of legal age now and penalizing her so severely for something she did as a child is really unnecessary.

When my landlord discovered she didn't have a rental agreement on file for the garage space I was renting from her she didn't evict me, she left a note on my door.

Re: The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming

#10

Post by ape4 »

bobm_kite9 wrote: post #2

What I want is a standardized set of icons, which grant or deny specific things, that all websites can agree on, sort of like the ones available for software licensing, here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ It would be great if we could "standardize away" the whole T&C fiasco.

Icons are good. But would be even better if they were switches the user can turn off/on.
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