Nobody reads the terms of service, and companies count on it. ToS;DR is a free, community-run project that reads them for you, grading a site or app's privacy terms from A (respects you) to E (avoid), and flagging the specific bad clauses in plain English.
What it does
Grades services from A to E on how they treat your data.
Summarizes the key points, "your data is sold to third parties," "they can read your private messages," "you waive your right to sue," so you don't have to parse legalese.
Offers a free browser add-on that shows a service's grade as you visit it.
It's crowd-sourced and reviewed, run by a nonprofit community, not a company selling anything.
Why we recommend it
The FTC just weakened the rules for health apps (Monday's story), so "read the fine print" is more on you than ever. ToS;DR turns a 40-page policy into a letter grade and a short list of red flags, in seconds.
How to start
Go to tosdr.org and search a service you use, or install the browser add-on.
Check its grade and the flagged clauses.
If it's a D or E on something you care about, look for a better-rated alternative.
Free at tosdr.org.
Quick tip
Install the ToS;DR browser add-on. It shows a site's privacy grade before you sign up, no digging required.
Up next · Friday
How to vet any app's privacy before you install it, in two minutes.