Privacy policies are hard to read on purpose. Here's how to skim to spot red flags when you're in a pinch.
Now time to bust out your keyword search and look for some common offenders. On a computer, use “control find” on your keyboard. On a smartphone, your browser app may have a “find on page” function in its menu. First, search for “sell.” Will this company sell your data to third parties?If it not, search next for “affiliates” and “partners.” Companies love bragging about not selling your data when they share it liberally with third parties.
If a company says that it shares data internally, take a moment to consider how broad its group of companies might be. For instance, thefor Hinge says its dating app affiliates include the entire Match Group family of businesses, which included around 45 businesses as of 2018. Facebook parent company Meta, for its part, says, “Meta Products share information with other Meta Companies.” Meta products and companies include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Portal and others.
Last, search for “advertising.” If this company does sell or share your data, is it to target you with ads? Sometimes, companies artfully avoid the words “targeted advertising” by saying they use your data to “personalize” or “improve” the service or to make sure the content you see is “based on interests.” You should search for those terms as well.Speaking of fancy linguistic footwork, look out for terms like “may” and “for example.