Read What You Sign

User agreements. They’re everywhere. If you did anything new today online, then there is a chance you had to sign a user agreement. Did you read it? If you’re anything like me, then probably not.

It might have looked like some of these.

While I deal with various companies and websites I find myself so often ignoring user agreements but signing them anyway. Apple is famous for their very long user agreements nobody reads. Most companies make you sign something if you’re going to be using their services and products. Most of these agreements go unread.

Some of them are quite colorful, like this iTunes agreement.

So just to make that clear. If you’re using iTunes to make nuclear weapons, stop.

Today, while I was checking various boxes in a recent user agreement, I wondered to myself what a user agreement with the US government (numer one terrorist organization in the world) might look like:

• I agree to pay 50% of everything I earn for life to the US government.
• I agree to also pay tax on money I have earned outside the country. 
• I agree to not be able to leave the country if the government sees fit.
• I agree to go to jail or face death penalty if the government sees fit.
• I agree to any law the government decides to pass without my consent no matter the cost of my personal freedom.
• I agree that the US government can spy on all my incoming and outgoing communications. 
• I agree that the US government owns all my incoming and outgoing communications and can use them in anyway it pleases. 
• I agree that the US government owns my body.
• I agree that the US government can kill in my name. 
• I agree that the US government can turn my cell phone into a geo-tracker.
• I agree that I best not think or else I might find myself in trouble.
• I agree that freedom is slavery.

I asked myself if I would sign such an agreement? Obviously the answer is no unless I did not read the user agreement, which is entirely possible. But what’s more likely is that since government doesn’t provide any useful services anyway without the need for the barrel of a gun, I would never use them.

Individuals all over the world passively accept laws and citizenship conditions – like taxes, fines and wars – all because they were born to a particular geographical region on Planet Earth.

By the time you do realize the inherent injustice of the system you are probably already serving jail time or have thousands of dollars of debt.

So, would you sign a user agreement with the US if they asked you to and put it like it actually is instead of hiding behind legalese and propaganda?