Terms of Service; Didn't Read
We are a user rights initiative to rate and label website terms & privacy policies, from very good Class A to very bad Class E. Learn more…
Terms of service are often too long to read, but it's important to understand what's in them. Your rights online depend on them. Get informed about your rights: install the browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera or Safari.
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Ian's April Update
by
Ian McGowan
Ratings
Facebook
- - Very broad copyright license on your content
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - Facebook automatically shares your data with many other services
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
- - No pseudonym allowed
- + You can give your feedback before changes
Read the full terms
Google
- - Google keeps your searches and other identifiable user information for an undefined period of time
- - Google can use your content for all their existing and future services
- - Google can share your personal information with other parties
- + Limited copyright license to operate and improve all Google Services
- + Inform you about data requests from governments
- - Google may stop providing services to you at any time
- + Google posts notice of changes, with a 14-day ultimatum.
- + Google enables you to get your information out when a service is discontinued
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
- - Google keeps the rights on your content when you stop using it
- ⋅ Partial archives of their terms are available
- ⋅ Jurisdiction in California
Read the full terms
Yahoo!
- + Yahoo's copyright license for photos, graphics, audio and video limited for purpose
- + Yahoo's copyright license for groups limited for purpose
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
- ⋅ Your account can be suspended for several reasons
- ⋅ You must provide your legal name upon registration
Read the full terms
Wikipedia
- + You publish your contributions under free licenses
- + You can give comments before changes
- + Wikipedia uses temporary session cookies
Read the full terms
twitter
- + Twitter deletes tracking data in 10 days and offers an opt-out
- - Very broad copyright license on your content
- + Promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - Critical changes to the terms with little users' involvement
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
- ⋅ Twitter does not require cookies to function
- ⋅ Twitter provide archives of their terms
- - Third party cookies
- - Twitter deletes your account after 30 days. It keeps the rights on your content.
Read the full terms
Apple
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Read the full terms
Flickr
- + Yahoo's copyright license for photos, graphics, audio and video limited for purpose
- + Flickr lets you choose a copyright license
- ⋅ Users are subject to Yahoo!'s terms
- + You can chose with whom you share your photo
Read the full terms
Skype
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
- × You cannot delete your account
Read the full terms
SoundCloud
- + You stay in control of your copyright
- + Collected personal data used for limited purposes
- - Indemnification from claims related to your content or your account
- + 6 weeks to review changes
- + Pseudonyms allowed
- + You can terminate your account
- + The terms are easy to read
- - Use of cookies and third-party cookies (opt-out)
- ⋅ Jurisdiction in Germany
- - Personal information can be disclosed in case of business transfer or insolvency
Read the full terms
XING
- - No pseudonym allowed
Read the full terms
GitHub
- + You don't grant any copyright license to github
- - Changes can happen any time, sometimes without notice
- - You shall defend and indemnify GitHub
- + Your personal information is used for limited purposes
- - Your account can be suspended and your data deleted any time for any reason
- + Transparent security practices
- ⋅ You must provide your legal name upon registration
- + GitHub will notify you before transferring your information in the event of a merger or acquisition
- ⋅ GitHub requires cookies
- ⋅ Choice of law: California
Read the full terms
Twitpic
- × Twitpic takes credit for your content
- - Your content is for Twitpic and their partners
- - Reduction of legal period for cause of action
- - You indemnify Twitpic from any claim related to your content
- × Deleted images are not really deleted
- ⋅ Jurisdiction in Delaware
Read the full terms
Delicious
- - Very broad copyright license on your content, includes right for Delicious to distribute through any media
- - Delicious can license your content to third-parties
- × No Right to leave the service
- - Only for personal and non-commercial use
- - Non-transparent use of cookies and third party ads
- - Your personal information are an asset for business transfers
Read the full terms
500px
- - The terms can change at any time, sometimes with notice
- × 500px Store: Authorship
- - Waiver of legal actions
- - You are responsible for any claim and agree to indemnify them
- - Broad copyright license
- × 500px Store: your account can be terminated at any time
- + Pseudonyms allowed
- ⋅ Open only to individual photographers and graphic artists
- + The terms are easy to read
Read the full terms
DuckDuckGo
- + No Tracking
App.net
- - You defend, indemnify, and hold app.net harmless in case of a claim related to your use of the service
- - Changes can happen at any time and sometimes without notice.
- + You can delete your content
- - You may not scrape the site
- + Pseudonyms allowed
- ⋅ App.net's terms are simple and easy to follow
- ⋅ App.net request feedback from users
- ⋅ You are responsible for what you upload
- + App.net provide archives of their terms
- ⋅ App.net does not take responsibility for what its users post
- ⋅ Court of law is California
Read the full terms
Steam
- - Defend and indemnify Valve. Survives termination of the agreement.
- + Can request review and/or removal of personally identifiable info.
- - Valve can cancel your account at any time.
- ⋅ No refund policy
- + Notifications 30 days before changes.
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
- + A user can voluntarily cancel their account at any time.
- - Trial and class action waiver
- + Pseudonyms allowed
- + Your personal information is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes
- ⋅ Jurisdiction: Washington (for non-EU) and Luxembourg.
- - May share aggregate and individual user information with other parties without restriction
Read the full terms
SeenThis
- + You are free to choose your copyright license
- + You can get your data back
- + Right to leave the service
Read the full terms
OwnCube
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
- - they can remove your account after complaints
- + user data is not sold
Read the full terms
Wordpress.com
- + Limited copyright license to Wordpress.com including for promotion
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
- × You cannot delete your account
AT&T
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Comcast
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Foursquare
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Loopt
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Microsoft
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- × Lawsuit and class action waiver. Arbitration for dispute resolution in the United States
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
myspace
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
netflix
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
- - Netflix reserve the right to disclose personal info, no notification.
- - Netflix uses 3rd party advertisers that use tracking cookies to target ads.
- + Users can request access and deletion of personal info.
- - Netflix can terminate your account for any reason without notice.
- - Lawsuit and class action waiver. Arbitration agreement. Survives termination of ToU agreement.
- - No liability is accepted for improper access to your personal information.
- + You can cancel at any time.
- ⋅ Non-personal info can be disclosed in any way.
- ⋅ Terms and privacy policy pages are organized and formatted well.
- ⋅ Personal info is used for advertising.
- ⋅ Cookies are required.
Verizon
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Cloudant
- + You don't grant any copyright license to Cloudant
- - You shall defend and indemnify Cloudant
- + Promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
- - Cloudant uses third-party cookies
- + Cloudant won't share you data with third parties
- + Cloudant will provide an exported copy of your data in the event of termination
- + Cloudant warns you if emergency maintenance is happening
- ⋅ Hosted data may be temporarily accessed by technical staff
- - Cloudant marketing emails are opt-out
- - Cloudant isn't responsible for any unauthorized access or use of your account
- + Cloudant will refund a portion of charges if availability levels are not met
- + Cloudant gives 30 days notice before termination
- ⋅ You canot display the Hosting Platform
- ⋅ Cloudant may share aggregated usage data with partners and third parties
- ⋅ Cloudant transfers hosted and personal info if Cloudant is acquired by another business
- ⋅ No spidering or crawling
- ? You must use your real name to register
- ? You must own or have rights to the data you store
- ⋅ Choice of Law is Massachusetts
- ⋅ Cloudant liability is limited to SLA and correcting the error, if feasible
- ⋅ You must be able to legally sign a binding contract
- ⋅
Read the full terms
Freeforums
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
Amazon
- ⋅ No promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- - No transparency on law enforcement requests
Grammarly
- ⋅ No promise to inform about government requests
- - Grammarly usage restrictions
- - Grammarly uses third-party cookies and Google to show ads
- - Grammarly does not notify users before being involved in a merger, sale, or acquisition
- - Grammarly doesn't list pricing packages without signing up
- ⋅ Grammarly's liability is limited to the last 12 months of paid fees
Read the full terms
World of Warcraft
- × You cannot delete your account
Spotify
- - You grant perpetual license to anything you publish
- - Spotify can delete your account without telling you
- + Spotify states risks of public information
- ⋅ No promise to inform about government requests
- - Spotify may transfer and process your data to somewhere outside of your country
- + Personal data is defined
- ⋅ Spotify doesn't guarantee data security
- + Spotify informs users of changes to the privacy policy
- - Spotify price changes take effect immediately
- - Your data is accessible to trading partners
- + Spotify warns of third party uses
- + Spotify defines intended use of your information
- - Spotify gives no guarantee for quality of service
- + You can unsubscribe at any time
- - Spotify provides limited solutions for software problems
- - Spotify uses third parties
- - Spotify doesn't provide refunds
- ⋅ Spotify may merge your current personal info with more if you participate in a Special Promotion
- ⋅ The ToS are only translated into a few languages
- ⋅ Spotify uses different agreements for special offers and community access
Read the full terms
couchsurfing
- - The copyright license on user data is broader than necessary
- - Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user
- - Couchsurfing may retain your data after deactivation for legitimate business purposes
- - Couchsurfing keeps the license on your content, even after you close your account
- + Couchsurfing informs you about the fact that you can disable cookies
- - Couchsurfing becomes the owner of ideas you give them
- ⋅ Promotional communications are opt-out
- ⋅ Couchsurfing clearly invites you to contact their volunteer help desk
- ⋅ Couchsurfing will pass your data on to the new company if they enter in a merger
- ⋅ Couchsurfing tracks you
- ⋅ You are not allowed to use a nick name
- ⋅ Couchsurfing may share aggregated or anonymized information that does not directly identify you.
- ⋅ You cannot blame CouchSurfing for disputes you have with other users
- ⋅ Couchsurfing may close your account at their sole discretion
- ⋅ Couchsurfing will censor the content you upload at their sole discretion
- ⋅ You should follow the community guidelines
Dropbox
- + Promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
LinkedIn
- + Promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
Sonic.net
- + They delete user logs after 2 weeks
- + Promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
Spideroak
- + Promise to inform you about data requests from governments
- + Transparency on law enforcement requests
Apple iCloud
- × They can delete any of your data (files, music, messages, etc.) at any time and without notice
Read the full terms