united-states contract-law terms-of-service adhesion-contracts
Should I use first-person (I) or second-person (you) for ToS consent?
<p>This is a bit of a nagging question for me. Let's say I'm creating a web application that allows users to sign up for some service, subject to certain terms of service. I've seen some sites use first-person pronouns for this purpose:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>By registering, I agree to the terms of service.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Others use second-person pronouns:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>By registering, you agree to the terms of service.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For simplicity, let's assume that the terms are readily viewable and fully enforceable. Is there any significant legal difference between the two?</p>

<p>There is no significant difference between the two and it is simply a matter of (modern) legal writing style. </p>

<p>Traditionally, contracts were always written in the third person, but starting sometime in the late 20th century (if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say sometime in the 1980s), the innovation of writing in the first and/or second person was developed and found to be more readable for most people, especially in contracts of adhesion.</p>
