What Did You Just Agree To When You Clicked On I Accept

I am sure that everyone has seen the links on Facebook for this game or that game.  Many of the games seem like fun, but when you click on I Accept or similar language, what are you actually agreeing to?

Here is an example.  The game that claims to find the most used words in your posts and create a graphic of them.

OK, so if you want to do this, what do you agree to provide the company who wrote the game?  Here is what:

• Name, profile picture, age, sex, birthday, and other public info
• Entire friend list
• Everything you’ve ever posted on your timeline
• All of your photos and photos you’re tagged in
• Education history
• Hometown and current city
• Everything you’ve ever liked
• IP address
• Info about the device you’re using including browser and language

The company, in response to an article about what they are doing, said that they don’t share or sell your information.

If that is true, why do they ask for permission to use it?

In fact, their privacy policy says that they don’t share your information unless we have received your permission to do so or given you notice (such as by telling you about it in this privacy policy).

If they are like many companies, they change their privacy policy from time to time.  No one reads those things in the first place – never mind every time they use the app.

Technically, they can use the information even after you terminate your “membership” in the company.  Say what?  I just clicked on a game.  I am a member?  I have to terminate my membership?

Of course this is just one example, but there are tens of millions of these agreements that very few people read.

However not reading them is done at your own (privacy) peril.

Think about that the next time you are asked to accept a license agreement.  If it is a firm that you are not familiar with, maybe you should read the agreement.

Information for this post came from HuffPo.

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