Be careful when using public WI-Fi!
Jul 19, 2017 11:45:26 #
Wi-Fi Users Agree to Clean Toilets by Not Reading Fine Print
Reading terms and conditions is no fun, and it gets less fun the longer they are. But the company Purple proved that all kinds of things can be snuck in there on the sly with a recent two week experiment.
The company, which runs Wi-Fi hotspots for places like Outback Steakhouse and Pizza Express, had 22,000 people agree to clean toilets because they didn't read the fine print given to them.
Purple inserted a "Community Service Clause" into its usual terms stating that the user may be required, at the discretion of Purple, to carry out 1,000 hours of community service. Including the following:
Cleansing local parks of animal waste
Providing hugs to stray cats and dogs
Manually relieving sewer blockages
Cleaning portable lavatories at local festivals and events
Painting snail shells to brighten up their existence
Scraping chewing gum off the streets
The company let their two-week long experiment be known to the public this week. There also was a prize offer to anyone who actually noticed the clause and contacted the company pointing it out. Only one person won.
In this case, the sneakiness was largely a stunt, and community is a good thing everyone should be doing anyway. And in more nefarious cases of sketchier fine print, you aren't necessarily beholden to terms and conditions—if the terms are illegal, they can't be enforced. Still, it's a reminder that fine print can be hiding things you weren't aware of and the only way to find out is by reading the whole thing. It might not be feasible to do that all the time, but maybe just thing for a second about whether you really have to hit OK.
Reading terms and conditions is no fun, and it gets less fun the longer they are. But the company Purple proved that all kinds of things can be snuck in there on the sly with a recent two week experiment.
The company, which runs Wi-Fi hotspots for places like Outback Steakhouse and Pizza Express, had 22,000 people agree to clean toilets because they didn't read the fine print given to them.
Purple inserted a "Community Service Clause" into its usual terms stating that the user may be required, at the discretion of Purple, to carry out 1,000 hours of community service. Including the following:
Cleansing local parks of animal waste
Providing hugs to stray cats and dogs
Manually relieving sewer blockages
Cleaning portable lavatories at local festivals and events
Painting snail shells to brighten up their existence
Scraping chewing gum off the streets
The company let their two-week long experiment be known to the public this week. There also was a prize offer to anyone who actually noticed the clause and contacted the company pointing it out. Only one person won.
In this case, the sneakiness was largely a stunt, and community is a good thing everyone should be doing anyway. And in more nefarious cases of sketchier fine print, you aren't necessarily beholden to terms and conditions—if the terms are illegal, they can't be enforced. Still, it's a reminder that fine print can be hiding things you weren't aware of and the only way to find out is by reading the whole thing. It might not be feasible to do that all the time, but maybe just thing for a second about whether you really have to hit OK.
Jul 19, 2017 11:51:45 #
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