Introducing Our User Facing Clickwrap Agreement Feature

FTP Today recently launched our new User Facing Clickwrap Agreement feature (also known in the industry as a clickthrough agreement). The FTP Today clickwrap agreement feature is only available on our advanced plans. If you are not currently an FTP Today customer and are interested in learning more about our plans and pricing, contact a Sharetru expert to learn more. 

If your subscription plan has this feature, you now have the ability to enable and configure clickwrap agreements that force all users to explicitly acknowledge custom terms and conditions before logging in to your FTP Today account. The initial launch of FTP Today clickwrap agreements is just the first step. In the future, we anticipate offering different types of clickwrap agreements for different types of users — for example, a clickwrap agreement for internal users plus a separate clickwrap agreement for external users.

Clickwrap agreements have become essential tools for businesses that operate online in any capacity. At FTP Today, we’re constantly adding new features and tools that empower organizations to protect their files, data and information, as well as empower organizations to protect themselves from liability.

Continue reading to learn more about our clickwrap user agreement feature and how administrators can configure a clickwrap agreement within FTP Today. If you have questions or would like to see a demo of our clickwrap agreements, request your personal demo.

What is a Clickwrap Agreement?

Looking for a clickwrap agreement definition? A clickwrap/clickthrough agreement is a type of digital agreement that falls under the User Agreement umbrella. In simplest terms, a clickwrap agreement is a digital legal agreement that users must complete before gaining access to systems, data, information, files or other online assets. In some cases, clickwrap agreements are referred to as user agreements.

You’ve likely completed many clickwrap agreements just in the course of using everyday applications. Clickwrap agreements are put into place so users can acknowledge they fully understand privacy policies, terms of service and other restrictions before using an application or accessing data, information, files, etc.

Clickwrap agreement legal cases indicate that clickwraps have become a more legally binding supplement to the posted terms and conditions you find on many websites. TermsFeed notes that Proflowers.com was left open to liability related to misrepresenting its products because it used only posted terms and conditions. In contrast, Uber was insulated from similar liability because it used a clickwrap or user agreement in tandem with posted terms and conditions.

The key difference in these clickwrap agreement case laws is that users have to take action with a clickwrap agreement. They are forced to check a box acknowledging terms and conditions of use as well as click a button that says "I Agree" before proceeding. While posted terms and conditions are easy to find and read, there’s no mechanism forcing users to acknowledge they have read and agree to them.

How to Configure FTP Today Clickwrap Agreements

To configure clickwrap agreements for your users, follow this process:

1. Log in to your FTP Today dashboard.
2. Click the settings icon on the left side of the screen.
3. Navigate to the “User Agreement” option on the menu.
4. Under “Enable User agreement presentation,” set the toggle on.
5. Create your user agreement in the “User agreement content” box. The box uses HTML5, allowing you to customize the content as needed. (Users will be forced to scroll to the bottom of this content before they can complete the clickwrap agreement.)
6. Create your checkbox text. Popular checkbox text options include “I accept” and “I agree.”
7. Choose whether or not you’d like to configure periodic reinforcement.
8. If you would like periodic reinforcement, toggle the button on and choose the number of days you’d like in a reinforcement period.

Only account administrators have the ability to configure and edit User Agreements. If at any time you need to reset your acknowledgements and require all users to complete the clickwrap agreement again, use the “Reset all acknowledgements” button at the top of the interface. For example, if and when you update your agreement, you will want to force all users to complete the user agreement again.

You can also view clickwrap activity within your FTP Today dashboard. Each time a User Agreement is completed, a new entry will appear in activity logs showing the user, the time and date, as well as the user’s IP address.

The Benefits of Clickwrap Agreements

Simply having a username and password does not ensure your FTP Today users will abide by your terms and conditions. A clickwrap agreement allows you to do 2 things:

1. Reinforce the terms, conditions and best practices under which you’d like anyone to behave when using FTP Today. This might include confidentiality clauses for HIPAA compliance or data export clauses for ITAR compliance.
2. Insulate your business from any liability related to misuse of FTP Today or of files, data and information shared using FTP Today.

Clickwrap agreements force your FTP Today users to explicitly acknowledge that they understand the terms and conditions of use, which is a level of acknowledgement you can’t create simply through training or other informal mechanisms.

Clickwrap Agreement Best Practices

Clickwrap agreements are undoubtedly important. But what are clickwrap agreement best practices that organizations should follow in 2022 and beyond? Start with these 6 best practices:

1. Be thorough: A clickwrap agreement is your opportunity to clearly outline all terms and conditions. Be as thorough as possible without being long-winded. Make sure to include any and all terms and conditions that, if violated, could leave your data vulnerable or your organization at risk of liability.
2. Use simple language: Yes, a clickwrap agreement is a legal agreement, but don’t use legalese in your clickwrap content. Instead, explain your terms and conditions in the simplest terms possible. Simple terms help individual users better understand expectations. Using FTP Today’s HTML5 content box, you can customize a simple and thorough clickwrap agreement that protects your organization and its information.
3. Explain that acceptance is required: A clickwrap agreement is not optional. Make clear in your clickwrap content that acceptance is required before users can move forward.
4. Make users check the box (or boxes): Don’t pre-check anything for users. Clickwrap agreements are designed to make users take action and indicate that they accept terms and conditions. Leave checkboxes unmarked so that users can check them on their own.
5. Always reset acknowledgements after updates: Force all users to go through the clickwrap agreement process again after you update your terms and conditions. Any change to your terms and conditions means that you need a fresh acceptance from all users. FTP Today makes it easy for administrators to reset all acknowledgements when needed (as explained above).
6. Maintain activity logs: Activity logs are how organizations track user acceptances, and they also help organizations understand which version of the clickwrap an individual user agreed to. When users violate the agreement, activity logs help organizations enforce terms and conditions (and related consequences) on a case-by-case basis. As mentioned earlier, FTP Today’s admin dashboard includes activity logs related to clickwrap agreements.

For examples of different types of user agreements check out this article from TermsFeed.

Secure Sharing With FTP Today

Most organizations regularly share sensitive files, data and information with third parties. They need a platform for sharing these sensitive files, data and information as securely as possible — a platform like FTP Today.

FTP Today provides the most secure method for sharing sensitive information (at a fraction of the cost to create your own in-house system). Some of our users simply want to protect their files to the greatest extent possible. Others need specific security measures in place to comply with standards required to do business with the United States government. In both cases, FTP Today provides solutions that are quick to set up and that provide compliant protections for sensitive information.

Are you looking for a secure way to share sensitive files, data and information? Request your demo about what FTP Today can do for your organization.