A number of annoying popup messages online have left me thinking about consent and what it means.

The other day, when I was on one website, I was asked if I wanted to subscribe to notifications and updates. I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 say no. Another website offered me a 20 per cent discount on a paid subscription. Again, I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 say no. And on an app I use, I was asked to sign up for a rewards program. Once again, I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 say no.

The reason I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 say no was that there was no way for me to do this. The choices included 乌鸦传媒淣ot Now乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒淢aybe Later.乌鸦传媒� A simple 乌鸦传媒淣o乌鸦传媒� wasn乌鸦传媒檛 included.

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If I click one of those choices, I can continue on to the site or app. But then, in a couple of days or possibly the next time I open the app or visit the site, the same message will pop up again. Once again, I乌鸦传媒檓 left with the same two options if I don乌鸦传媒檛 want to subscribe or sign up for notifications.

Until recently, I hadn乌鸦传媒檛 given much thought to the wording of these popups. I could click one of the options and continue on my way. It was nothing more than a minor annoyance. This time, however, something about the message caught my attention.

乌鸦传媒淣ot Now乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒淢aybe Later乌鸦传媒� don乌鸦传媒檛 express what I want. Put simply, I need to be able to state if I乌鸦传媒檓 not interested in getting my name on a mailing list, upgrading from the light version to the full version of a subscription or unlocking the full features of an app.

The wording allowed me to give consent if I wanted the additional features, but not to refuse consent. The best I could do was to delay.

This sends an uncomfortable message. The right to agree to an offer should also include the right to refuse the offer.

The word 乌鸦传媒淣o乌鸦传媒� is one of the most important words in the English language. 乌鸦传媒淣o乌鸦传媒� is a way one refuses something unwanted, unneeded or uncomfortable. There is something permanent about this simple word.

Selecting 乌鸦传媒淣ot Now乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒淢aybe Later乌鸦传媒� meant I was open to seeing the offer again乌鸦传媒� and again乌鸦传媒� and again.

If I didn乌鸦传媒檛 want to see the repetitive messages, the only choices open to me are to subscribe or to abandon the site or service entirely.

There乌鸦传媒檚 nothing new about disregarding the word 乌鸦传媒淣o.乌鸦传媒�

Not too long ago, it was said that in one country, when a woman said 乌鸦传媒淣o乌鸦传媒� to a man乌鸦传媒檚 advances, she meant 乌鸦传媒淢aybe,乌鸦传媒� and when she said 乌鸦传媒淢aybe,乌鸦传媒� she meant 乌鸦传媒淵es,乌鸦传媒� which is ridiculous. With this premise, how was it possible for a woman to make it clear that she was refusing unwanted advances?

This stereotype should have been considered in bad taste from the beginning.

Since at least the 1980s, there have been 乌鸦传媒淣o Means No乌鸦传媒� campaigns, emphasizing the importance of consent.

One of these campaigns asked the question, 乌鸦传媒淲hat part of No don乌鸦传媒檛 you understand?乌鸦传媒�

I haven乌鸦传媒檛 heard the 乌鸦传媒淣o, Maybe and Yes乌鸦传媒� line in a long time, and I hope this means things are changing for the better.

Still, the wording of popup ads has left me wondering if messages about consent have had any real impact.

If a company is asking me to accept an offer, then I need the choice to say 乌鸦传媒淣o乌鸦传媒� to the offer as well. 乌鸦传媒淢aybe Later乌鸦传媒� isn乌鸦传媒檛 good enough.

John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.

To report a typo, email:
news@summerlandreview.com.

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