Bill Overview
Title: TLDR Act
Description: This bill requires commercial websites (excluding small businesses) to display certain information, such as a short-form terms of service summary statement. The bill provides for enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general.
Sponsors: Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals using commercial websites for transactions
Estimated Size: 250000000
- The bill targets commercial websites that are not classified as small businesses. This includes all large scale e-commerce platforms and commercial entities that conduct transactions online.
- Users of these commercial websites, which encompass a global audience, would be impacted by the implementation of a simplified terms-of-service summary.
- The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general will be involved, suggesting a focus on U.S. enforcement and U.S.-centric websites.
- The act aims to make terms of service more understandable, impacting all internet users who engage with commercial sites by improving transparency.
- Given that the internet is a global platform and many large U.S.-based commercial websites have international users, the potential global impact includes international users who visit and agree to terms of U.S.-based websites.
Reasoning
- The budget constraints limit how extensively the policy can be enforced and promoted, meaning not all users may be immediately or noticeably impacted.
- The sheer scale of the potential target population (250 million in the U.S.) means the policy must be strategically prioritized towards the most impactful sites and terms to maximize benefit within budget.
- Each person in the U.S. using the internet potentially interacts with terms of service, but direct impacts and perceived benefits will vary, focusing significantly on frequent users of large platforms.
- Most people regard terms of service updates as minor unless they visibly affect service usage or require acceptance of onerous conditions.
- The policy might improve transparency, leading to slight, gradual increments in user trust and informed consent to services.
- A diverse set of users was chosen to illustrate different levels of policy impact, from high engagement to indifferent users.
- Direct impacts on wellbeing scores are likely to be subtle, with more significant impacts visible in digital literacy and consumer empowerment metrics that are not strictly captured in wellbeing alone.
Simulated Interviews
software engineer (Boston, MA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I find it difficult to read through long terms of service every time. Simplified summaries would be great for when I'm making quick purchases.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
digital marketer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Often, lengthy terms are overwhelming and I avoid them. A summary would make accepting terms easier and transparent.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
college student (Austin, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't read terms much, a short version would probably be more useful and less time consuming.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
small business owner (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I usually rely on my instincts with terms, but a summary could prevent potential misunderstandings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
retired teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I rarely shop online, my understanding is limited but this could help lead to fairer experiences online.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
legal consultant (Seattle, WA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Short summaries can make my job easier when doing quick reviews, reducing my workload considerably.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
graphic designer (New York, NY)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Short summaries definitely reduce frustration, especially with new app downloads.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
stay-at-home parent (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't focus much on terms, but simpler versions might build a bit more trust in the companies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
small-scale online seller (Denver, CO)
Age: 55 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This won't impact my business directly but may change how customers perceive larger competitors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
musician (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this makes terms clearer, so I know exactly what I'm signing up for, potentially avoiding pitfalls.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $200000000)
Year 2: $140000000 (Low: $95000000, High: $190000000)
Year 3: $135000000 (Low: $90000000, High: $185000000)
Year 5: $120000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $160000000)
Year 10: $100000000 (Low: $75000000, High: $125000000)
Year 100: $70000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $90000000)
Key Considerations
- Initial high implementation costs for commercial websites include technological upgrades and employee training.
- Ongoing enforcement and compliance activities could strain resources of small local regulatory bodies.
- Potential resistance from commercial websites concerned about implementation complexity.
- Positive consumer response could boost website traffic and engagement.
- The global nature of the internet means non-U.S. impacts should also be considered though they are not directly covered by this U.S. legislation.