I don’t often retract a resource once it’s been recommended but I really feel that pulling my previous references to Prezi is important for this project. I realized last month that Prezi’s terms of service declares that users must be 18 years of age. The specific quote is in section 2 of the Terms of Service page:
“Adults Only. The Prezi Service is intended for adults only. You must be 18 years old – or, if the age of majority in your state or province is greater than 18 years, such age of majority in your state or province – or have obtained the consent of your parent or guardian to use the Prezi Service.”
I inquired about the apparent conflict between their K-12/Edu programs and their “Adults Only” clause. I was told by the sales department that my question is addressed in their FAQ page. On that page, the question about using Prezi if one is under-aged is answered with “You can use Prezi if you are under 18 years old and if you are 13 years or older and have obtained consent from your parent, teacher or school (or other guardian).” I see also, that Prezi is now introducing Prezi U that is intended to support the K-12 and Post-Secondary communities. The terms of use have not changed.
I’m not comfortable with the idea that schools and teachers can arbitrarily provide permission, potentially overruling the wishes and intentions of parents. I’m not a lawyer but it’s a potential conflict to which I can’t seem to find a suitable answer – so my response is to simply retract my recommendation and to be clear about why.
If Prezi addresses the conflict and updates their terms to be more flexible, I’ll certainly have another look.
-Pete
