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Complex and confusing language: Technical and/or excessively long privacy policies that are difficult to understand

Websites and mobile apps that use complex and confusing language in their privacy policies make it difficult for users to understand how their personal information is collected, used and disclosed.

Examples:

Long and difficult to understand privacy policies

Confusing 
pop-up privacy notices

OPC key findings:

Complex and confusing language was the most common type of deceptive design pattern and appeared in 96 per cent of websites and mobile apps

83 per cent of privacy policies were difficult to read (required university or graduate education reading level) 

76 per cent of privacy policies were very long (over 3,000 words) 

OPC recommendations: 

Privacy information should be 
easy to understand

Privacy policies should include simple explanations with key information (additional details could be linked) 

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OPC recommendations: 

OPC key findings:

Long and difficult to understand privacy policies

Confusing 
pop-up privacy notices

Examples:

Websites and mobile apps that use complex and confusing language in their privacy policies make it difficult for users to understand how their personal information is collected, used and disclosed.

Complex and confusing language: Technical and/or excessively long privacy policies that are difficult to understand

1

Privacy policies should include simple explanations with key information (additional details could be linked) 

Privacy information should be 
easy to understand

76 per cent of privacy policies were very long (over 3,000 words) 

83 per cent of privacy policies were difficult to read (required university or graduate education reading level) 

Complex and confusing language was the most common type of deceptive design pattern and appeared in 96 per cent of websites and mobile apps