Net303 a.2 rye

Net303: Policy Primer Presenta3on

MATCH.COM-‐TERMS OF SERVICE (TOS)

By Jannicke Rye

Are you lonely? Sick of being single?

Spending your nights ea8ng ice cream,

discussing the latest episode of The Bachelor

with your cat?

(Image sourced from Macintosh HD: Clip Gallery User database)

Well… Maybe it is 8me to meet someone, go on a date, and hopefully fall in love.

Don’t know where to start?

Have no fear -‐ Match.com is here!


Match.com was launched in April 1995, and now services 24 countries and territories

and hosts web sites in 15 different languages (About Us, 2012)


According to their website they “create roman8c opportuni8es so

singles are more likely

to find someone special”

(About Us, 2012)


And their mission is simple: “To help singles find the kind of rela8onships

they’re looking for”. (About Us, 2012)


So that doesn’t seem too bad. As stated, you have nothing to fear! Or do you?

According to Richard GoeVke and Joseph

Chris8ana “users are generally unaware and/or

unconcerned with protec8ng their privacy on

social networking sites” (2007, p.9).

So before you sign up, let us have a look at their

Terms of Service.

It starts fairly reasonable; “you must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and single or

separated from your spouse to register as a

member of Match.com or use the Website” (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011)


You may become a member of the service at no cost. As a member, you will have the ability

to par8cipate in some, but not all,

of the features and services available within

the service. (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011)


That means that in order to access addi8onal features, services and to communicate with

other members, you have to pay.


Match.com is not required to provide you no8ce prior to termina8ng your membership

and/or subscrip8on. (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011)


So a`er spending a lot of 8me and money building up a network online, you might log on

and find your account deleted...


You are solely responsible for your interac8ons with other members. You understand that

Match.com currently does not conduct criminal

background check on its members. (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011)


So you do not have the reassurance that the

people you talk to are who they claim to be,

nor if you are chaang with a sex offender.


With that in mind, you might not be to thrilled about accep8ng their TOS since this is some of the condi8ons you agree to;

“In no event shall Match.com be liable for damages whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, general, special, compensatory, consequenBal, and/or incidental, arising out of or relaBng to the conduct or your or anyone else in connecBon with the use of the service, including without limitaBon, bodily injury, emoBonal distress, and/or any other damages resulBng from communicaBons or meeBngs with other registered users of this service or person you meet through this service” (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011)


Also, “Match.com owns and retains all proprietary rights in the website and the

service” (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011)

Except for that informa8on which is in the

public domain, you may not modify, transmit,

copy, distribute, display or sell any such

informa8on.


People join Match.com for the social

aspect of it, but by agreeing to their TOS you are

preVy much le` alone… with all the responsibility.

Because you are “solely responsible for your

interacBons with other Match.com members.

Match.com reserves the right, but has no

obligaBon, to monitor disputes between you and

other members” (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011).


If you find yourself in a dangerous or uncomfortable situa8on, “Match.com is not

responsible for the conduct, whether online or

offline, of any user of the website or member

of the service” (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011).


That might be important for you to remember, especially since…

… you, by using the website/service in any manner, “agree to the arbitra8on agreement. In doing so, you give up your right to go to court to assert or defend any claims between you and Match.com (except for maVers that may be taken to small-‐claims court). You also give up your right to par8cipate in a class ac8on or other class proceeding” (Match.com Terms of Use Agreement, 2011).


So before you choose to sign up, you should consider if you are comfortable with all of the

terms…or find love somewhere else.


Reference

• ‘About Us’, 2012. Retrieved September 1st 2012, from hWp://www.match.com.au/help/aboutus.aspx?lid=4

• GoeWke, R., & Chris3ana, J. (2007). Privacy and Online Social Networking Websites. Computer Science 199r: Special Topics in Computer Science Computa5on and Society: Privacy and Technology. Retrieved September 4th, 2012 hCp://www.eecs.harvard.edu/cs199r/fp/RichJoe.pdf

• ‘Match.com Terms of Use Agreement’, 2011. Retrieved September 2nd, 2012 from hWp://www.match.com.au/registra3on/membagr.aspx?lid=4

• All images sourced from Macintosh HD: Clip Gallery User database, 2012.

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