Conclusion

In this chapter I have outlined my recommendations for improvement of informed consent in information technology by improving the worst offending area: that of End User License Agreements. In doing this I outlined the obvious problems plaguing End User License Agreements, and then outlined some of the suggestions that have been put forward to help the situation. Some of the suggestions were directly related, such as Garfinkel's labelling system, whereas others provided examples of trusted third party support mechanisms such as the Creative Commons and TRUSTe. I evaluated each one in terms of the problems of EULAs, and then established my own recommendations: a hybrid system of labelling and trusted third party mediation and support that provided a foundation and design paradigm for modular standard license agreements. In keeping with the normative theory I have adopted for this task, I identified the normative expectations, discussing them in the context of the suggestions made in the previous chapter, and then established an effective communication framework: using trusted third party mediation to develop a set of modular standard agreements that are easy for users to understand, with labels identifying the particular normative expectations that would need to be waived for each piece of software. I discussed the merits and problems of the system, particularly some places that would need workable trade-offs, such as the potential problems of crowding of labels on the license window, lack of label recognition, and complication of license choosing. I also dismissed a few problems that have plagued similar projects, namely the problem with ``seals'' in that they are easy to forge. Finally, I demonstrated a practical implementation of the theory proposed for the case study of End User License Agreements. I offered two models, each with benefits and disadvantages, and suggested some further research for trialling these models.

In doing so I have outlined a serious practical application recommendation stemming from my theory in Chapter 3.