90% of OS and app users do not read terms of service
IT experts:
Ignoring terms and conditions
make phones outsmart their owners
A
poll conducted by mGov magazine with one hundred smartphone
users revealed that 90% of the respondents never read the terms
and conditions for installing operation systems for their phones upon
purchase. They also pay little heed to the terms and conditions of apps
downloaded from the app store of each OS. They only rely on the past
experience of other users with such software.
Experts in the smartphone technology
field explained that this indifference by
the majority of users to the terms and
conditions of using apps helps smart-
phones in general and apps in particular
to outsmart their users. They indicated
that some collect and analyze their ac-
tions on the app store and accordingly
start spamming users with ads for other
similar sites and apps.
They stressed that the major apps that
breach the user data are the chat pro-
grams, text and audio, photo editing apps
and unreliable location-based apps.
Eng. Abdul Rahman Al Marzouqi, Inter
-
net Development Manager (Policies and
Software Department, TRA) explained
that TRA conducted an analytic study
of the terms and conditions of the major
apps and services, especially ones relat-
ed to social networking to examine the in
-
herent risks and responsibilities ignored
by many users.
Al Marzouqi pointed out that TRA will
issue reports and guides on its website
and via various media channels on these
terms and conditions shedding light on
those that might cause harm. He stated
that this step might cause some users
to reconsider downloading the app or
OS if he/she found that they might incur
risk or responsibility because of it or any
breach of their privacy, personal data or
عبدالرحمن المرزوقي
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