Definitions

Note: Definitions will be adapted and added throughout this project.

Legal documents, when used in our methodology, refers to all of the legally binding documents that a company presents to a person purchasing or using a product. These may include the privacy policy, terms of service, end user license agreement (EULA), and warranty, as well as any other documents that represent a public statement of fact or commitment about the product by the company.

A privacy policy is a statement that discloses some or all of the ways a party gathers, uses, discloses, and manages a customer or client's data. Be aware that some products might be subject to more than one privacy policy. For example, website privacy policies may or may not apply to data collected from devices sold by the company. They often only cover information related to the website itself. In order to find a product’s privacy policy, look in the packaging the device came in for any relevant paperwork. Look at documentation associated with any mobile apps required for use along with the product. Privacy policies may also be located on the company’s website, sometimes under a tab titled “Policies” or “Legal.”

Terms of Service (ToS) are a set of regulations that are attached to a product or service. These regulations may also be called Terms and Conditions (ToC) or Terms of Use (ToU). Be aware that some products might be subject to more than one ToS policy. For example, products that work jointly between two companies or two services within the same company may be subject to separate ToS documents. Products may also contain different components like software or hardware that may each be governed by different ToS policies. In order to find a product’s ToS, look in the packaging the device came in for any relevant paperwork. Look at documentation associated with any mobile apps required for use along with the product. ToS may also be located on the company’s website, sometimes under a tab titled “Policies” or “Legal.”