Why Are Terms And Conditions So Complicated?

Many people click the “Yes, I Agree” button to terms and conditions (T&Cs) of their mobile applications not because they agree to the T&Cs, but because they want one less thing to worry about as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, this has become a pattern among many tech-users.

We can say that people are meant to read these T&Cs, but are the T&Cs presented in ways users can read and comprehend them easily? For instance, a software update on a mobile device comes with a 3-pager T&Cs, saying what?

Why are terms and conditions so complicated?

This is not to say that tech-users are justified for not reading the T&Cs they agree to, but a call on tech companies to be more transparent in their dealings with the users.

Terms and Conditions

Users are not the same. They vary in their level of sophistication, educational status, profession and language abilities. Therefore, the same 3-pager T&Cs easily comprehended by a lawyer may not be easily interpreted by an uneducated person. So, why can’t tech companies keep their T&Cs simple and straight to the point?

In this day of data protection and privacy, tech-users who click the “Yes I Agree” button to T&Cs display some level of trust and loyalty to tech companies. Hence, these tech companies mustn’t break the customers’ trust.

By Anifat Ibrahim