When US consumers purchase a new smartphone, be it Apple or any other brand, it is safe to say that nobody ever reads the Terms and Conditions of the user agreement for one simple reason: at well over 50 pages, and without anyone having gone to prison for failing to read it, it is considered a colossal a waste of time.
For Chinese smartphone buyers, however, the situation is quite different.
As the following snapshot shows, failure to not only read but abide by the very strict demands of any given user agreement may lead to harsh penalties, prison time, or even worse for infractions such as:
- Opposing the basic principles determined in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China;
- Endangering national security, leaking state secrets, subverting the government, and undermining national unity;
- Harming national honor and interests;
- Inciting ethnic hatred or ethnic discrimination, and undermining national unity;
- Undermining national religious policy, promoting cults and superstitions;
- Spreading rumor, disturbing social orders, undermining social stability;
- Spreading obscenity, pornography, gambling, violence, murder, terrorism or instigating others to commit crimes;
- Insulting or slandering others, infringing upon the legal rights and interest of others;
I got a new phone, and this is why you should read your "user agreement" pic.twitter.com/8tnD4DrDbE [9]
— Susan Ramsay (@YPsue_ramsay) October 6, 2015 [10]
It was not immediately clear what the punishment was for the first instance of terms and conditions violation; or the last one.
h/t @YPsue_ramsay [11]