PolicyPal
PolicyPal is a user-friendly digital tool designed to help users easily understand and navigate the Terms of Service (TOS) and Privacy Policies of online platforms. By simplifying complex legal jargon and providing clear explanations, PolicyPal aims to build trust and confidence in users while promoting informed consent to online agreements.
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How might we protect users' personal information despite their lack of understanding of legal jargon in online terms and policies?
Problem Background
Data privacy has become a growing concern in today's digital age. The data brokerage industry generates around $200 billion annually, with approximately 4,000 companies operating worldwide. Despite the potential risks, studies have shown that a majority of users accept legal terms and conditions without reading them.
In fact, a 2017 Deloitte study found that over 90% of users accept these agreements without reviewing them, with the percentage increasing to 97% for younger users between the age of 18-34. This lack of attention to detail can be attributed to information overload, as identified in a 2016 research study. The study's analysis revealed that the majority of participants (98%) missed the study's fictional platform TOS 'gotcha clauses' about data sharing with the NSA and employers, as well as providing a first-born child as payment for Social Networking Site (SNS) access. With that said, there is a pressing need to improve users' understanding of online legal terms and policies to better protect their personal information.
Research Insights
View Survey Results (Google Sheets)
User Pain Points
- Through research conducted via survey and user interviews, the main pain points users face when trying to understand legal agreements and policies include lengthy documents, legal jargon, and lack of clarity.
Supporting Data
- Respondents expressed a moderate to high level of concern about their online privacy (average 3.53/5).
- Most respondents reported that they rarely or sometimes read legal terms and policies when signing up for a new online platform.
- Most respondents spend less than 2 minutes reading legal terms and policies before accepting them.
Feedback
- Users are becoming more aware of the potential risks associated with sharing their personal data online.
- There is a need for accessible, simplified, and concise versions of these legal terms and policies to help users understand what they are agreeing to when they sign up for an online service.
Future Steps
- To better educate and inform people, respondents propose creating easily digestible website pages, video explanations, online seminars, early education, and raising awareness of the importance of data privacy and best practices. This can be considered as a feature down the road.
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Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Paolo Miguel Gomez
One important thing I learned was to really dig into the problem space and narrow it down. It's all about understanding what the users truly need, their frustrations, wants, or what they're trying to get done. Sometimes, people don't express their needs clearly, so as a Product Manager, I have to dig deeper to figure out the real problem.
Another lesson I learned was to craft the right story using the research insights gathered. This will support and tell the story for your product and the job that needs to be done.
Designer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Developers Learnings:
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