How Internet Contracts Impact Research: Content Analysis of Terms of Service on Consumer Product Websites.
Caitlin Victoria WeigerKatherine Clegg SmithJoanna E CohenMark DredzeMeghan Bridgid MoranPublished in: JMIR public health and surveillance (2020)
TOS create complications for public health surveillance related to e-marketing on brand websites. Recent court opinions have reduced the risk of federal criminal charges for violating TOS on public websites, but this risk remains unclear for private websites. The public health community needs to establish standards to guide and protect researchers from the possibility of legal repercussions related to such efforts.