Informed consent in information technology: Improving end user licence agreements

Abstract

Information technology suffers from a distinct lack of care with respect to adequate informed consent procedures. Computer users are commonly asked to consent to various things that could threaten their personal identity, privacy, and property, yet little care is taken in assessing whether the consent is truly informed. Some software even takes advantage of the confusion rife in informed consent procedures in order to install otherwise unwanted software on usersʹ computers (such as adware or spyware). End user licence agreements (EULAs) are a common example of these poorinformed consent procedures, which have their basis in the inappropriate use of medical