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Too long, won’t read
Yes, it’d be nice if we could wave a magic wand to make every privacy policy as readable as possible. The next best thing? Use Ctrl + F on your keyboard for Windows or Cmd + F on a Mac to quickly search for these terms:
- Your data is worth a lot. Search for “sell,” “partners” and “affiliates” to see if it’s being sold.
- Sections like “How we collect your personal data” show what a company gathers from you and how it does it.
- Try something like “How we use your personal information” to get the company’s take on why they need your data in the first place. FYI, a phrase like “business purposes” almost always means they share it.
- “Geolocation” and “geotargeting” indicate your location information is collected. I opt out when I can.
- Watch for references to “COPPA,” or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, to see how a company protects your kid’s data.
🖊️ There’s a free resource that does all this for you, btw. Terms of Service Didn’t Read is a website and a browser add-on that summarizes the key points before you hit “Agree.”
