Ethical Analysis of Terms and Conditions for the Use of AI-Based Products and Services in Iran

Payandeh, Reza; Kanani, Hasti

doi:10.22034/jstp.2025.11769.1813

Ethical Analysis of Terms and Conditions for the Use of AI-Based Products and Services in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Reza Payandeh ¹
Hasti Kanani ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² M.A. Student, Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jstp.2025.11769.1813

Abstract

This study examines the "Terms and Conditions" (T&C) of AI-driven businesses, aiming to identify relevant ethical issues and evaluate their compliance with AI ethical frameworks. The term "Terms and Conditions" refers to a document that regulates the contractual relationship between service providers and users, typically encompassing privacy policies, terms of service, user and company rights and obligations, as well as data protection policies. This research employed a cross-sectional study design and qualitative content analysis to identify and analyze Iranian businesses operating in the AI sector. The sample was drawn from platforms such as Myket and Cafe Bazaar, complemented by Google searches, and data were collected from official websites and relevant documents. The collected data were coded and analyzed based on ethical principles. In the quantitative phase, scoring was conducted using a Likert scale, and businesses were ranked using the TOPSIS method. The findings revealed that the T&C policies often lack sufficient operational details to build user trust and fail to fully uphold principles such as the balance of power, accountability, and social responsiveness. This study highlights the necessity of revising these T&C policies, developing more comprehensive frameworks, and aligning them with international standards.

Keywords