Do you really trust “privacy policy” or “terms of use” agreements without reading them?

Abstract

An online survey was administered to college students asking them whether they read the terms of use and privacy policy when using services or applications, and if not, why. Also, when apps ask to have access to their location, contacts, or camera, do the students allow access or not, due to security concerns. One hundred and seventy students have completed the survey. Results suggest that 62% of participants “Agree” to not reading the terms of use or privacy policies, with the most common explanation being that the text is “too long.” For the question “Have you ever rejected a mobile app request for accessing your contacts, camera or location?” the answers are more encouraging. Ninety-two percent of those surveyed express that they “Yes,” have rejected access if they believe the app does not need to access the camera or contacts.