Terms and Conditions May Apply

Terms and Conditions May Apply is a 2013 documentary film that addresses how corporations and the government utilize the information that users provide when agreeing to browse a website, install an application, or purchase goods online. In the film, director/narrator Cullen Hoback discusses the language employed in user-service agreements and how online service providers collect and use users' and customers' information.

Terms and Conditions May Apply
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCullen Hoback
Produced by
  • Cullen Hoback
  • Nitin Khanna
  • John Ramos
Narrated byCullen Hoback
CinematographyBen Wolf
Edited byCullen Hoback
Music byJohn Askew
Distributed byVariance Films, Hyrax Films
Release date
  • 2013 (2013)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film criticizes companies such as Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn for having poorly worded and misguiding privacy policies/terms of service, which use user-unfriendly language in long documents and allows the companies to collect user information and legally provide it to third-parties.[1] The film aims to warn people about the risks of clicking "I Agree" after scrolling through pages of uninviting text.

Mark Zuckerberg appears in the film.[2][3]

Interviewees

edit
In alphabetical order:

Reception

edit

The film received a very mixed review at RogerEbert.com, stating among other things; "Hoback's lack of focus is compounded by his tendency to rely on speakers who talk in generalizations."[4]The Los Angeles Times, on the other hand, explained that "In the brave new world of big data, humor has no value — and privacy is on the extinction watch list."[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Terms and Conditions May Apply: Official Trailer". Youtube.com. Hyrax Films.
  2. ^ Metz, Nina (July 18, 2013). "Chicago Closeup: Terms and Conditions May Apply". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  3. ^ "Movies: 'Terms and Conditions May Apply' Details Digital-Age Loss of Privacy". The New York Times. July 12, 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-25. (paid)
  4. ^ Abrams, Simon. "Terms and Conditions May Apply movie review (2013) | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  5. ^ Linden, Sheri (2013-07-17). "Review: 'Terms and Conditions May Apply' explores loss of privacy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
edit