Bonum Certa Men Certa

Terms of Service (TOS) Under Scrutiny - Part XVIII - In Conclusion

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Sep 10, 2024

Coronavirus Covid-19 Warning Notice

YESTERDAY there was a "Personal Perspective", which basically boiled down to, minimise TOS signing (digitally pressing "OK" or something similar). It's nearly impossible for anyone in 2024 not to sign any TOS/equivalent, unless one moves to the jungle and has no power/water supplied by some company. However, minimisation is both feasible and worthwhile. There are toxic elements in every food we eat (not poisons, just unhealthy components/ingredients), but we still need to eat something.

Last month, for the first time ever, we had to use "Zoom" (because we filed lawsuits [1, 2] and needed to speak to the barrister). We only used the Web interface and had to press "OK" on some thing. The Web version does not collect voiceprints. Similarly, when booking a flight we need to accept some terms (not the same when you book a train ticket at the station, which can be done anonymously and with cash). It's just impossible to live in a complete vacuum, but if we could avoid stuff like Zoom until 2024, then maybe it's possible to avoid most of these things. The less, the merrier.

The term TOS should be a warning sign, a turn-off, even cause for deterrence. If someone asks you to sign or agree to one, then be suspicious of the motives. Usually the aim it to proactively thwart potential lawsuits by you, or even participation in class action, protest etc.

Many activities can be done offline without having to sign anything. For instance, you can shop offline, travel without booking anything, meet a person at a coffee shop/restaurant without signing anything, work out without "apps" or gadgets and so on. Making life simpler does not mean adding more tech, which typically makes a false promise of making life simpler when in practice it means more trips to a repair store, anxiety over "low battery" etc.

To recall how this series came about, go back to early parts; recall the overview, Forced Arbitration in TOS (taking away your rights, with your "consent"), lack of clarity in TOS, censorship, and so on.

TOS is almost always a bad thing. It's something to be avoided if at all possible.

Other Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Windows Barely Exists in Haiti Anymore
This trend in Haiti is a "story in progress"
 
Android (With Linux) Rises to Record Highs in Hong Kong and in Macao
Looking quite bad for Microsoft
Distractions. Distractions Everywhere.
distracting from the real solution
EPO Concerns About the Education and Childcare Allowance Reform (ECAR) and School Liaison Officer (SLO)
The public deserves to know as it impacts thousands of families
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 17, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 17, 2025
Links 17/03/2025: Weather Changing and Connecting Docker to Localhost
Links for the day
The EPO Might Face Critical 'Brain Drain' (Abandonment by the Most Experienced Patent Examiners) This Year
"a number of colleagues might feel compelled to inform the Administration before the end of May 2025 of their intention to retire as of 1 December 2025."
Links 17/03/2025: Forced Labour and Memory on Tenstorrent
Links for the day
Links 17/03/2025: Live Nation’s DOJ Antitrust Battle Carries on, as Does the Demise of the "Hey Hi" Bubble
Links for the day
Links 17/03/2025: "Badly Misled About Covid" and "Gag of America"
Links for the day
The Lie or Half-Truth of Clownflare (or Equivalents) Improving Things
It may seem "cheap" (temporarily) and "fast", but that's just bait
Free Speech Around the World is Curtailed in the Name of "Protecting Us"
We have spent many years speaking about how to combat this trend
Enshittification of Online Media
Now more than ever we must fight for independent press
War Readiness Means Removing Every Windows Installation and CALEA-Compliant Equipment
Finland is vulnerable for a whole bunch of reasons
Reporting Facts is Not a Privacy Violation
Techrights has long valued and defended privacy
In the Russian Federation (Russia), Microsoft Isn't Even the 1%
the government builds "homegrown" (not pertinent parts of them) distros with which to replace Microsoft, not just Windows
Gemini Links 17/03/2025: "Hack the Planet", Klingnauer Stausee, and Enshittification
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 16, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, March 16, 2025
Slow News Cycles Are Part of a Trend, Technology Gravitating Towards Rich People's Interests
This issue isn't limited to the Web
Recent Site Changes and Looking Towards 2026
In November 2026 we turn 20
Mozilla Firefox is Probably Already Below 2% in the UK (United Kingdom)
LibreWolf identifies as "Firefox" by default
When You Don't Want to Tinker Much You Just Use GNU/Linux, Not Windows
With GNU/Linux upgrades are possible and, failing that, one can just back up the home directory and copy it "back into" the new OS
Facebook REALLY, REALLY, R E A L L Y Does Not Want You to Read This Book
It would be a CRIME to read it
Coming Soon, the Next Chapter About the Crisis of the Open Source Initiative (OSI)
We're far from done
Illuminating Microsoft's Code of Conduct (CoC) Hypocrisy
Oppressor victimhood? Leadership claimed by the worst offenders?
Planet Ubuntu - or Ubuntu Planet - Has an LLM Slop Problem (Called Faizul "Piju" 9M2PJU)
Does investigative reporting have any future at all?
Links 16/03/2025: Handwriting Comeback and "MElon’s Attack on U.S.A.I.D."
Links for the day
Gemini Links 16/03/2025: "Differences Distance" and "Dopamine-addicted Pigeon"
Links for the day
Expect GNU/Linux to Rise Sharply in China
But Red China won't trust Red Hat (IBM), which works for the Pentagon and keeps the "secret sauce" for its OS secret (just what Americans accused China of doing with its distros)
Links 16/03/2025: American Press Under Attack, "France Offers to Take in US Scientists"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 16/03/2025: Threats to Canada and How to Process News Online
Links for the day
Links 16/03/2025: Growing Tariff Hostilities and Social Media Surveillance
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 15, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, March 15, 2025