I support the idea of passing legislation requiring that terms of service agreements be simple and easy to read is a capital idea. (Pun not intended)
On the other hand, calling it the Terms-of-service Labeling, Design and Readability (TLDR) Act is just a bit too clever. It makes the Congresscritters seem more interested in scoring rhetorical points than they are in solving a legitimate problem:
A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced legislation in both chambers Thursday aimed at simplifying websites’ terms of service agreements.
The Terms-of-service Labeling, Design and Readability (TLDR) Act would require websites to include a “summary statement” that explains their terms in easy-to-digest language and discloses what, if any, sensitive personal data they collect.
“For far too long, blanket terms of service agreements have forced consumers to either ‘agree’ to all of a company’s conditions or lose access to a website or app entirely,” Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), the sponsor of the House version of the bill, said in a statement.
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The TLDR Act would be enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general.
I'm not inclined that this will pass this year, but it does seem to indicate an increased willingness of legislators to apply meaningful regulation to the tech industry.
That is a good thing.
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