The story behind the terms nobody reads
Fair Term is an AI-powered tool that analyses Terms & Conditions pages and tells users — in plain English — what they're actually agreeing to. This page is for journalists, researchers, and anyone covering consumer rights, digital privacy, or legal tech.
99%
of people never read the terms they agree to
250+
hours/year the average person spends clicking 'I agree'
76%
of terms contain clauses favouring the company
2010
the year the 'firstborn child' experiment proved nobody reads T&Cs
Why Fair Term matters
The consumer-rights story behind every "I agree" button
The 'firstborn child' experiment
In 2010, Maplin and Which? hid a clause in their terms handing over the user's firstborn child — 99% agreed. Fair Term exists to close that gap with AI.
Students signing away their rights
University students click 'I agree' to dozens of platforms every term — from social media to ed-tech to accommodation. Fair Term flags the predatory clauses they'd never spot.
The hidden subscription economy
Free trials that auto-convert, auto-renewals buried in paragraph 47, cancellation fees hidden in the small print. Fair Term surfaces every cost a user might miss.
Transparent AI, not a black box
Unlike other AI tools, Fair Term's methodology is fully public. Every score traces back to specific clauses, with plain-English explanations and suggested fairer alternatives.
What makes Fair Term different
Automatic and passive — the browser extension detects terms checkboxes and prompts you, no copying, no pasting, nothing to do
Built-in cookie consent management that handles banners for you, rejecting non-essential cookies by default
On-demand analysis of any URL — not just pre-graded popular services
Suggested fairer alternatives for every red flag, not just summaries
Change monitoring that alerts users when companies silently update their terms
Business tier with bulk analysis, team workspaces, and vendor risk dashboards
Transparent, documented methodology — every score is traceable to its source
Institutional focus — serving universities, procurement teams, and compliance
Resources & data
Our public league table ranks companies by fairness score. Our methodology page documents exactly how every score is calculated. Both are freely available.
About Fair Term
Fair Term is an AI-powered legal-tech tool that analyses Terms & Conditions pages and produces clear, actionable fairness reports for everyday users. Founded to address the reality that 99% of people never read the terms they agree to, Fair Term scores terms across seven dimensions — from data privacy to hidden costs — and flags specific concerning clauses with plain-English explanations and suggested fairer alternatives. Available as a web app and browser extension, with Business and Enterprise tiers for teams, universities, and procurement professionals.