Terms of use in brief: Handysektor explains terms and conditions of WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat

Terms of use and privacy statements in apps and online services are almost always long, complicatedly worded, and difficult to understand. Young users in particular therefore rarely take a look and hardly have a chance to understand the complex content. Handysektor helps and presents the most important aspects of the terms of use of popular apps in the new material "Terms of use in brief".

Your contract with ...
What many users don't always seem to be aware of: agreeing to terms and conditions means entering into a binding relationship with app and service providers and possibly giving permission for extensive data processing. With the new material, Handysektor aims to help users learn more about their favorite apps and evaluate them more critically. The first three issues of the series are dedicated to the communication apps WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat, which are particularly popular among young people.

What's really important?
One of the biggest challenges when reading terms of use is discovering exactly the information that is actually relevant in everyday life. That's why Handysektor's new information sheets provide an overview of what can be found in the terms of use in important categories such as privacy, security or costs.
In addition, it summarizes the ways in which the services use private data according to their own statements or even pass it on to third parties. The rules of conduct specified in apps, such as a ban on sending chain letters in WhatsApp, are also discussed.

Criticism of data protection
None of the three services does without collecting private data (e.g., cell phone number or e-mail address). WhatsApp and Instagram in particular, as subsidiaries of Facebook, also pass on data within the group. Instagram and Snapchat also use private data for advertising purposes. This is particularly problematic for very young users, because the minimum age of users is not effectively controlled in any of the services.

Free to download and order
The three materials in the "Terms of use in brief" series on the apps WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat are now available to interested users on Handysektor free of charge to download and order in printed form.

Download and order at klicksafe.de and mobilesector.com

 

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