Small print 'cynicism' revealed
Updated on 12 February 2009
Almost half of consumers believe companies use small print to make money out of them, a survey has revealed.
Some 42% of respondents to a poll about privacy and marketing thought firms used small print to sell on their details and almost 50% said it was deliberately designed to be as woolly as possible.
The results come from a study by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which is calling for an overhaul of privacy and marketing small print.
The watchdog uncovered widespread cynicism among consumers - with half the sample saying they did not understand paper and online forms.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said: "Too many privacy notices involve too much small print and too much confusing gobbledegook. Privacy notices are an important way to inform individuals and ensure that organisations are open about how they use personal information.
"But no-one should need a magnifying glass or a lawyer to find out what will happen to their information, what their choices are and what their rights are. Too many privacy notices are written to protect organisations, rather than to inform consumers. What chance do people have if privacy notices are written in complex legalese?"
The ICO is concerned that too many companies baffle customers and wants organisations to make their privacy notices much clearer. The organisation has launched a national consultation on a new Code of Practice designed to help organisations provide more user-friendly privacy notices.
The ICO asked consumers what would make small print easier to digest; two-thirds wanted to see a clearer way of opting out of receiving marketing, 63% wanted less jargon, 62% wanted a clearer explanation of how their personal information would be used - and half suggested small print should literally become "big print" by using larger text.
The ICO is urging people to take the time to read and understand marketing and privacy notices to prevent their information being used in ways they do not expect and avoid being bombarded by unsolicited marketing.
Backing the "small print BIG PRINT" campaign, broadcaster and consumer champion Nick Ross said: "At last someone's doing something about this. A lot of companies hide shoddy privacy and marketing practices behind legal jargon or deep in a website. Even reputable firms list reams of conditions almost no-one in their right minds would ever read. This stuff should be crystal clear and anything unusual should have a neon flashing warning."
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