Apple Updates The iTunes Terms And Conditions To Reflect The New In-App Subscription Policy

With The Daily landing in the App Store today, Apple needed to update customers on what the new in-app subscription ability required and how to manage it. We'll go over the details with you, before that need to tap or click that all-important Agree button. Here is the new portion that Apple wants you to understand:

Certain App Store Products may include functionality that enables you to purchase content on a subscription basis ("Paid Subscriptions"). Paid Subscriptions are non-refundable. Paid Subscriptions will automatically renew for the applicable time period you have selected, and your Account will be charged no more than 24 hours prior to the expiration of the current Paid Subscription. You may cancel automatic renewal by selecting Manage App Subscriptions in your Account and selecting the subscription you want to modify. The auto-renew feature of the subscription will be turned off if the Licensor increases the price of the subscription. Certain Paid Subscriptions may offer a free trial prior to purchase. If you decide to purchase a Paid Subscription prior to the end of the free trial period, your Paid Subscription will start automatically. Also see additional information about the Paid Subscription offer at the point of sale within the App Store Product. We may ask for your permission to provide the name, e-mail address and zip code listed in your Account to the Licensor so that it can send you marketing messages about its own products in accordance with its publicly posted privacy policy. Once the Licensor has this information, it will be treated in accordance with the Licensor's privacy policy. We encourage you to learn about the privacy practices of the Licensor before agreeing to give it your personal information. For more information, please review the Licensor's privacy policy or contact the Licensor directly.

There seems to be the good and the possibly ugly. The good sign is that you should easily be able to manage these. I don't see Manage App Subscriptions yet within the iTunes Account section but MacStories appears to have jumped right in and found the option when accessing your iTunes account options on the iPad. Another good sign, "The auto-renew feature of the subscription will be turned off if the Licensor increases the price of the subscription." We shall now move on to the possibly ugly. Despite Apple following with a fair warning, this doesn't sound fantastic, "We may ask for your permission to provide the name, e-mail address and zip code listed in your Account to the Licensor so that it can send you marketing messages about its own products in accordance with its publicly posted privacy policy." Even though I'd hope most companies don't take advantage of this, I feel they very well could. Even if it isn't just riddled in an immense blob of fine print, their policy may be one that can "change without notice." Therefore, you could find yourself bombarded by spam email, on top of paying a subscription for an app that has ads in it. To me, that seems like a bit of excessive advertising. But why even try to argue something that has been around seemingly forever anyway? What are your thoughts? Are you going to find yourself using up more time reading every single word of even more terms and privacy policies? Perhaps, you're just that person who taps or clicks Agree and deals with whatever comes your way.

Related articles