Audio By Carbonatix
The combined terms and conditions of 13 top apps including TikTok, WhatsApp and Zoom would take 17 hours and five minutes to read, a firm has estimated.
The documents contain a joint total of 128,415 words - longer than any one of the first three Harry Potter novels.
The longest was Microsoft Teams at 18,282 words - or two-and-a-half hours of reading time for many people.
What a way to end the week: Getting @thinkmoney on @BBCNews! 🔥
— Evolved Search (@evolved_search) November 6, 2020
Check it out: https://t.co/G4Dh7OT08Q
In 2018, a BBC study found that several website policies required university education levels of reading ability.
It is not possible to use the services without agreeing to the terms.
Other long documents discovered by thinkmoney included Candy Crush (14,189 words), Twitter (11,022) and Facebook (8,588). The word count included both terms and conditions and privacy policies.
The shortest on the list was Google Meet with 4,717 words.
Privacy researcher Stephanie Hare said that both the length and language used in such statements made them difficult for adults and children to be able to make informed consent about what they were agreeing to - and the only alternative was to not use the app at all.
"Consent implies choice, but choice is not what's on offer. It is difficult, if not impossible, for most of us to work and live today without using a smartphone, computer and other devices that allow us to transact online," she said.
Latest Stories
-
EOCO exceeds GH¢200m target, recovers record GH¢337.4m in 2025 – Dominic Ayine
4 minutes -
‘Nite with the Stars’ to shake Kumasi with electrifying music performances on Christmas Day
7 minutes -
KsTU constitutes panel to review GTEC directive, VC qualification petition
17 minutes -
Ghana recovers over $15m from international crypto fraud syndicate – Attorney General
32 minutes -
Ghana to receive 300 new ISUZU buses to boost public transport, deputy transport minister confirms
34 minutes -
AG formally requests extradition of Ofori-Atta, Ernest Akore to face charges
51 minutes -
Ofori-Atta’s return to face justice now in US hands, says Ayine
52 minutes -
Asenso-Boakye backs Accra–Kumasi Expressway but urges caution on the process
55 minutes -
EU leaders face crunch decision on loaning Russia’s frozen cash to Ukraine
1 hour -
JoyBusiness Review 2025: GoldBod a ‘game changer’ for Ghana’s economy – Dalex Finance CEO
1 hour -
JoyBusiness Review 2025: Praise for GoldBod is premature without answers on illegal gold – Tax Consultant
1 hour -
UniMAC, AKUNA sign MoU to deliver hands on industry training for students
1 hour -
‘The Gods Are Not To Blame’ returns in tribute to theatre legend Mawuli Semevo
1 hour -
Ghana’s economy must transition from stability to growth in 2026 – Joe Jackson
2 hours -
Photos: Interior Minister opens Upper West Regional Police Headquarters
2 hours
