2022-09-27
Length of privacy policies represents a real problem and one of the main causes why nobody reads them
Have you ever wondered what is really written in a privacy policy? Most users want to start using a mobile application right away and no one will postpone this by investing an hour or more to read and comprehend a privacy policy. We simply accept it and go on with our lives. Like it really matters what is written in that legal document. There is a regulation in place to protect us. Yes there is, and it regulates that any and all means of accessing and using our private data must be disclosed in the privacy policy at hand. .
We are all aware that privacy policies are important to users because they define the terms and conditions for using a website. That is one of the reasons why it should be thoroughly read and understood, because it informs users about the ”prices” at which they can use products and services. However, this is not the case. According to the addictivetips.com survey, 87% of people accept privacy policies without reading them.
If you are asking yourselves, why don’t users read it if it is very important? 89% of people who were part of the AddictiveTips survey said that they don’t have time. Here are few facts which will help you realize how much time would you for reading privacy policies:
-The average smartphone user uses 10 apps daily and 30 different apps per month. (buildfire.com)
The average reader will read 1,000 words in 3.3 minutes when reading at a speed of 300 words per minute (wpm). (capitalizemytitle.com)
-Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Zoom, and Spotify are among the top ten most downloaded apps in the first quarter of 2022, according to Forbes.com. The average length of these applications' privacy policies is around 4500 words. These apps are almost certainly "must haves" for any smartphone user.
-By combining all of the facts, we can conclude that reading one privacy policy would take about 15 minutes. Understanding them is a completely different challenge.
-By doing some quick math, we can determine that it would take two and a half hours to read privacy policies for apps that users use daily, and seven and a half hours for apps that users use monthly. Besides that, we do not include websites and other online services.
It's probably clearer now why 89% of respondents in the aforementioned survey said they don't read privacy policies because they're too long. Consider a person who works 40 hours per week and has no time to read it…
Pro Se is here for users that don’t have time to read privacy policies.
The fact that not a lot of people read privacy policy led us to develop Pro Se. In exchange for using a service, users must usually accept all of the terms and conditions. They are, in essence, granting access to their data (location, contacts, storage etc.). Basically, Pro Se offers users a 100 word summary that provides all information needed to make an informed decision to accept or not the privacy policy at hand, instead of reading 5 pages of legal text.
Pro Se analyzes privacy policies by employing powerful artificial intelligence. It shortens privacy policies by highlighting the key facts of the privacy policy that the user has accepted. Instead of wasting time reading something users probably won't understand completely, users of Pro Se are served with clear information about the permissions they have granted. Here's an example for Instagram app:
Another advantage of using Pro Se to analyze privacy policies is that it allows users to configure their privacy preferences. The user can select one of four predefined privacy profiles or customize it to their liking. By personalizing your privacy settings, you will receive a personalized analysis for each app you use: is it in line with everything you are willing to allow/restrict?
In addition, by analyzing policies one by one, you are creating your own archive of accepted policies. It means you can always double-check what you agreed on previously.
As previously stated, privacy policies are critical for all users because you are consenting to the service's use of your information and data. It should not be "skipped" simply by accepting it, which is why we strongly advise you to use our app. You will save time and be aware of what you are accepting or have already accepted.
The question is whether users want to continue being unaware of what they are consenting to or start caring about their privacy?