Source: bigocean
You are living a life in Internet and you are using a lots of web-application, services via Internet. But still there are much better services comming up and we tend to subscribe and start using it. But, are you ever read the Terms of Service ( shortly ToS ) of the service you are using it? Facebook has faced serious concerns over it’s change in ToS. Many of it’s users are not happy with it’s change in ToS. So the question is, why does a Infrequently read ToS bothers much? Whats in there in the ToS.
Ok. Lets begin with knowing about what is terms of service.
What is Terms of Service ( ToS )?
Terms of Service are the rules written by the Web-service providers ( eg: Google, Yahoo, Facebook ) to make the usage of the application in a reasonable way. Example, if you look at the point 8 in Google Docs ToS ,
8.3 Google reserves the right (but shall have no obligation) to pre-screen, review, flag, filter, modify, refuse or remove any or all Content from any Service. For some of the Services, Google may provide tools to filter out explicit sexual content. These tools include the SafeSearch preference settings (see http://www.google.com/help/customize.html#safe). In addition, there are commercially available services and software to limit access to material that you may find objectionable.
Now this restricts users who are about to upload the illegal / sexual contents. Now this forces the users to use the service in a resonable way.
Why the companies using it?
Companies are using ToS service for the following reasons
1. To provide reasonable service to it’s customers.
Online services company runs web application for massive user base. The companies should provide reasonable amount of service to their users. They promise this in the ToS.
2. Proper utilization of service by users
Companies running those web application will be spending for Server, Bandwidth, and other computational and non-computational resources.So, the user should access those resources in a reasonable and optimal way.
Eg: Google will not allow you to upload files of size more than 500 KB or Presentations upto 10 MB.
So by enforcing this rule, the companies make sure that they are able to provide good service to everyone. Think, if the google allows to upload files of size 2 GB at a single shot, not all the users will have the same bandwith to upload the files, hence will convert into slow servers, unhappy customers, then loose business.
3. Protect themselves from legal issues
Companies will write up the ToS in such a way that they are most protected via the legal issues that might face from it’s customers. Recently Twitter has been sued due to it’s fault on it’s service ( but twitter has responded back accordingly )
How to keep track of the Terms of service?
So, if you have ever seen a ToS page of any service it runs for miles and sure anyone wouldn’t have enough patience to read/glance it even. A online service TOSBack tracks about 42 companies ToS and it’s changes. You can check what does a company tells in it’s ToS and what it has changed recently. Based on this you can use the service accordingly.
Screenshot of TOSBack displaying difference in YouTube’s ToS
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