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Someone should create an app that translates a companies T&C into layman terms with simple stuff like "they track your location", "sell your usage data", etc.

Someone should create an app that translates a companies T&C into layman terms with simple stuff like "they track your location", "sell your usage data", etc. Just need a team of lawyers to interpret them, and a nice web site. Call it something like AppSideEffects.com "Things that may be harmful when using these apps/web sites"

lost_vegetable 8y ago
Terms Of Service; Didn't Read is very close to what you're looking for. https://tosdr.org https://tosdr.org
- Vinnl 8y ago
  And more people who contribute reviews are always needed: https://edit.tosdr.org https://edit.tosdr.org (tool in beta, but functional)
eximius 8y ago
Think bigger: companies should be required to present their terms in plain English. Not all things need lawyers.
- matt4077 8y ago
  That doesn't make much senser. As soon as you wrtite a legal document in "plain English", whatever that may mean, you would find out how bad plain language is at capturing the endless nuances of actual life that need to be captured in contractual language. I also don't actually find the current language of TOS prohibitively obfuscated, even though English isn't even my first language. The trouble is length far more than phrasing. What could possibly work is to codify certain recurring segments, i. e. specify them once in a (complicated) law, then represent them in an understandable format, such as a visualisation. The "Nutritional Informations" come to mind. Alternatively, a certification scheme grading different levels of data protection could work, such as it is currently used for organic food. Or, you know, just outlaw the stuff that no sane person would ever accept unless forced to by the market converging on one, very low, standard.
  - eximius 8y ago
    > Or, you know, just outlaw the stuff that no sane person would ever accept unless forced to by the market converging on one, very low, standard. I think this and legislation requiring a good faith plain text explanation of terms would work well together. You can have the legalese for the details, but many (most?) Things people care about can be talked about plainly.

lost_vegetable 8y ago

Vinnl 8y ago
And more people who contribute reviews are always needed: https://edit.tosdr.org https://edit.tosdr.org (tool in beta, but functional)

eximius 8y ago

Think bigger: companies should be required to present their terms in plain English. Not all things need lawyers.

matt4077 8y ago
That doesn't make much senser. As soon as you wrtite a legal document in "plain English", whatever that may mean, you would find out how bad plain language is at capturing the endless nuances of actual life that need to be captured in contractual language. I also don't actually find the current language of TOS prohibitively obfuscated, even though English isn't even my first language. The trouble is length far more than phrasing. What could possibly work is to codify certain recurring segments, i. e. specify them once in a (complicated) law, then represent them in an understandable format, such as a visualisation. The "Nutritional Informations" come to mind. Alternatively, a certification scheme grading different levels of data protection could work, such as it is currently used for organic food. Or, you know, just outlaw the stuff that no sane person would ever accept unless forced to by the market converging on one, very low, standard.
- eximius 8y ago
  > Or, you know, just outlaw the stuff that no sane person would ever accept unless forced to by the market converging on one, very low, standard. I think this and legislation requiring a good faith plain text explanation of terms would work well together. You can have the legalese for the details, but many (most?) Things people care about can be talked about plainly.