Terms of service are the legal agreements between the provider of a service—such as a website—and the users of the service. When a user is given proper notice of these terms and agrees to or accepts the terms by some affirmative act, such as continuing to use the service or ticking a box to indicate agreement, the parties form an enforceable contract regarding the user’s use or purchase of the product or service. Terms of service are also commonly referred to as terms of use, terms and conditions, or abbreviated as TOS or T&C.

In Iowa, as in other states, terms of service (TOS), also known as terms of use or terms and conditions, are considered legally binding contracts between a service provider and the user, provided that certain conditions are met. For the contract to be enforceable, the user must be given proper notice of the terms and must agree to these terms through an affirmative act, such as clicking a checkbox that indicates agreement or continuing to use the service. This agreement is subject to general contract principles, which require that the terms be presented in a clear and understandable manner, and that the user has the capacity to enter into the contract. If these conditions are met, the terms of service can be enforced by the courts in Iowa. It's important to note that certain provisions within terms of service may be subject to scrutiny if they are deemed unfair or unconscionable. Additionally, specific regulations at the federal level, such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), may impose further requirements on terms of service, especially when the users are minors.