Question 10: Click and Go – But Do You Know? Terms and Conditions Matter

How often have your eyes glazed over looking at pages of “legalese” and you clicked the “accept” button so you could get on with using the technology?  Many of us do that on apps and our computer updates, but when it comes to your ag technology, knowing what the update means could be more significant.  An update could mean something important for the ag data that is being collected from your operation. That’s why Question 10 is part of Ag Data Transparent certification: Will the tech company notify the user when data agreements are changed and summarize how the agreements were changed?

 As companies update their information, it is helpful to know if you will be notified and also know what is different now. Farmer-led organizations like the National Wheat Growers Association support ADT as they know their members want this information.

 “In today’s world, we are constantly being asked to ‘accept’ terms and conditions on digital platforms.  Similarly, companies are frequently updating their terms, making it hard to keep up with what has changed in the latest version. To address these concerns for technologies used by our wheat growers, the Ag Data Transparent certification requires ag tech companies to notify users whenever the terms for using their data platforms change. This should help avoid any surprises about what the contract terms actually say,” Jacob Westlin, Senior Director of Policy and Communications at National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG).

Terms and conditions matter, and ADT certification makes it clear. It’s all about transparency, simplicity and trust.