All about Terms and Conditions

By: V. Srur

I am sure most of you have opened a website and they gave you those huge pop-ups with multiple files to read and agree on a set of “terms and conditions” in order for you to locate what you want. But do you always read them or you have no idea what your consenting to?  

In legal terms, agreeing to a platform’s terms and conditions (T&Cs) means entering a binding agreement. For adults, that might be annoying but manageable. For minors, it’s a different story. According to most legal systems, individuals under 18 cannot enter binding contracts without parental consent, and yet, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube regularly allow teens as young as 13 to create accounts, assuming that by ticking the box, the teen has parental permission or understands the terms.  But is that realistic or fair? 

Many apps have age restrictions 13+, 16+, or even 18+, but. it’s easy for anyone to fake a birthday. That means lots of teens are agreeing to contracts they may not legally or emotionally understand, this can harm minors because they are  unknowingly allowing apps to access their camera, location and can even track your data progress even when they are not even using the app or website. 

Here’s the issue: minors (anyone under 18) are not always able to give “informed consent.” Legally, a contract with a minor is not fully enforceable but online, companies rarely double check. Instead, they assume anyone who clicks “agree” understands the risks.  You can always stay safer online by always asking your parents if you think a site is asking too much, or at least read some lines to understand what you are agreeing to, some websites even may offer “T&Cs in plain English.” Which will help viewers understand complicated legal wording better. In many countries, privacy laws (like the GDPR in Europe or LGPD in Brazil) protect minors to help you always stay protected.