User Intent
Contents
Full Title or Meme
User Intent implies free will exercised by a fully informed and competent user.
Context
- In the past User Intent was inferred from postings of Privacy Policy written in dense legalese supported by a Contract of Adhesion which was typically supplied as a Terms of Service which were typically invoked by references with a URL to more dense legalese. Some Web Sites realizing that they were on shaky legal ground began requiring users to page though a long PDF of the Terms of Service as proof that the users were fully informed. Everyone involved in that stratagem knew it as a sham, but continued it none-the-less.
- Meaning of intent: Intention purpose meaning (from the French)[1]
Legal Intent
n legal terms, intent refers to the mental state behind an action, particularly in criminal law. It determines whether a person knowingly and purposefully committed an act, which is crucial in distinguishing accidents from deliberate wrongdoing.
Types of Intent in Law
- General Intent – The person intended to perform the act, even if they didn’t plan a specific outcome.
- Specific Intent – The person had a clear purpose behind their action, such as premeditated crimes.
- Constructive Intent – The person didn’t intend harm but acted recklessly, leading to consequences.
- Transferred Intent – When harm is unintentionally inflicted on a different person than originally intended.
Intent plays a major role in criminal cases, contract law, and tort law, influencing liability and punishment
Contract Law
In contract law, intent refers to the determination of parties to enter into a legally binding agreement. It is a crucial element in forming a valid contract, ensuring that both parties intended to create legal obligations rather than just making casual or social arrangements.
Key Aspects of Intent in Contract Law Intention to Create Legal Relations – Courts assess whether the parties meant for the agreement to be legally enforceable.
Objective Test – Intent is determined based on actions and circumstances, rather than subjective thoughts.
Commercial vs. Domestic Agreements – Business contracts are presumed to have legal intent, while personal agreements (e.g., between family members) may require explicit proof.
Letters of Intent – These documents outline preliminary agreements but may not always be legally binding unless they contain essential terms.
Problems
- A user who checks those boxes will have a hard time arguing later that they didn't understand what they were signing. -- Digital signatures – no proof of intent. http://www.pcworld.com/article/253523/how_to_make_sure_that_digital_signature_is_legit.html
- The human prover signals her intent to authenticate to a particular verify by acquiring the verifier’s QR code with her Pico device. https://books.google.com/books?id=TGUcBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=prove+user+intent+computer&source=bl&ots=PJla77v1n1&sig=JGbBd9O8ydEsoacW50igG_VDp1Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAzgoahUKEwja2N6Iy77IAhXEOogKHZxAAZI#v=onepage&q=prove%20user%20intent%20computer&f=false
- Current practice is to try to infer user intent. http://www-ksl.stanford.edu/people/glass/GlassDissertation.pdf
- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=69&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CFUQFjAIODxqFQoTCKef6qLNvsgCFdBIiAodS2QBYQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdl.acm.org%2Fcitation.cfm%3Fid%3D1242739&usg=AFQjCNExvyQaXUTMc9wgINbxCBoc-GyDxw&sig2=BdgpttgU_0HAjxbh2vm2gA&bvm=bv.104819420,d.cGU
- User intent used to detect malware http://www.covert.io/research-papers/security/Gyrus%20-%20A%20Framework%20for%20User-Intent%20Monitoring%20of%20Text-Based%20Networked%20Applications.pdf
Solutions
- Remove SPC User Activation Requirement March 2023
To help developers reduce friction in SPC flows, we are removing the user activation requirement for authentication. Spam and clickjacking mitigations are put in place to ensure there’s no loss in security and privacy with this change.
References
- ↑ Walter W. Skeat, An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Oxford (1882)
Other Material
- See the wiki page Intentionality for a philosophic view.
- US Patent US 20110154505 A1 Unobtrusive assurance of authentic user intent (filed 2009-12-22)
