Risk Score
0 = very fair · 100 = very risky
Summary
This is X Corp.'s Terms of Service governing use of the X (formerly Twitter) platform, applicable to users outside the EU, EFTA States, and the UK (including the US). The document grants X an extremely broad, royalty-free, sublicensable license to user content including for AI training, while users retain nominal 'ownership.' X retains sweeping unilateral rights to change, limit, or terminate services and accounts with broad but vague justifications. Liability is heavily capped at $100 USD, and the terms are notably one-sided in X's favor on enforcement, content use, and account termination. The document is moderately aggressive compared to industry norms, particularly regarding AI training use of content and the breadth of the content license.
Flagged Clauses
Everything you post on X can be used by X and its partners for virtually any purpose, including training AI systems, with no payment to you. This license applies to all current and future media formats and distribution methods. X can sublicense your content to third parties.
“You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display, upload, download, and distribute such Content...in any and all media or distribution methods now known or later developed, for any purpose...including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type.”
By using X for free, you are deemed to have already been 'compensated' for X using your content in any way it chooses, including commercial purposes. You waive any claim to payment for content use.
“Such additional uses by us, or other companies, organizations or individuals, is made with no compensation paid to you with respect to the Content that you submit...as the use of the Services by you is hereby agreed as being sufficient compensation for the Content and grant of rights herein.”
You technically retain ownership of your content, but the extremely broad license granted to X means ownership has limited practical value — X can use your content for almost anything without your further consent or payment.
“You retain your rights to any Content...you submit, input, create, generate, post, or display on or through the Services. What's yours is yours — you own your Content.”
X can suspend or terminate your account for vague reasons including 'commercial inviability' or 'risk of legal exposure' — not just for rule violations. X bears no liability when it does so. Usernames can be reclaimed at any time.
“We may also suspend or terminate your account for other reasons, such as prolonged inactivity, risk of legal exposure, or commercial inviability. We may also remove or refuse to distribute any Content on the Services, limit distribution or visibility of any Content on the service, suspend or terminate users, and reclaim usernames without liability to you.”
No matter what harm X causes you, the maximum they can be required to pay is $100 USD (or what you paid in the last 6 months, if more). This is an extremely low liability cap.
“Our aggregate liability shall not exceed the greater of $100 USD or the amount you paid us, if any, in the past six months for the Services giving rise to the claim.”
X can change, restrict, or discontinue any feature or the entire service at any time without advance notice or compensation. There is no obligation to maintain any particular feature or service level.
“The Services may change from time to time, at our discretion. We may stop (permanently or temporarily) providing the Services or any features within the Services to you or to users generally. We also retain the right to create limits on use and storage at our sole discretion at any time.”
Your data is transferred internationally to multiple countries. The full scope of data collection and sharing is governed by a separate Privacy Policy that is incorporated by reference but not reproduced here.
“You understand that through your use of the Services you consent to the collection and use (as set forth in the Privacy Policy) of this information, including the transfer of this information to the United States, Ireland, and/or other countries for storage, processing and use by us and our affiliates.”
X can access, read, and share your private information with governments and others when it deems this 'reasonably necessary.' The standard for disclosure is X's own judgment, not a formal legal requirement.
“We also reserve the right to access, read, preserve, and disclose any information as we reasonably believe is necessary to (i) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request...(iii) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues.”
X provides no guarantees about the quality, reliability, or availability of the service. If the service fails, causes data loss, or harms you in some way, X disclaims responsibility.
“We provide the Services on an 'AS IS' and 'AS AVAILABLE' basis, and we disclaim all warranties, responsibility, and liability to you or others to the extent permitted by law.”
If you provide ideas or suggestions to X about improving the platform, X can use those ideas freely without crediting or compensating you.
“Any feedback, comments, or suggestions you may provide regarding X, or the Services is entirely voluntary and we will be free to use such feedback, comments or suggestions as we see fit and without any obligation to you.”
Users can leave by deactivating their account, but the document does not clearly specify what happens to your data or content after account deactivation — that is addressed in the separate Privacy Policy.
“You have a right to terminate this agreement at any time by deactivating your account and discontinuing use of the Services.”
You don't own the X app or software — you have a limited personal license to use it only for using X. You cannot transfer, sell, or share this license.
“We give you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-assignable and non-exclusive license to use the software provided to you as part of the Services...with the sole purpose of enabling you to use and enjoy the benefit of the Services.”
Additional terms for paid features, developer tools, and advertising can be added on top of these Terms. Simply using those features means you agree to those additional terms.
“Certain additional terms and conditions may apply in connection with your use of those services. By using or paying for any of these additional services, you agree to any additional terms applicable to those services.”
Missing Protections
- No mandatory advance notice period before material changes to Terms take effect (e.g., 30-day notice requirement)
- No mandatory arbitration clause is visible in this excerpt, but its absence from the visible text may mean it exists in an incorporated policy not shown here
- No explicit data deletion/portability rights described in these Terms (deferred entirely to Privacy Policy)
- No explicit description of what happens to user data and content after account termination or deactivation
- No explicit class action waiver clause visible in this excerpt (may be in incorporated terms)
- No Service Level Agreement or uptime commitment of any kind
- No explicit user right to appeal account termination decisions (only UK and EU users are given explicit complaint/challenge mechanisms)
- No clear definition of 'commercial inviability' or 'risk of legal exposure' as termination triggers, leaving those grounds extremely vague
- No explicit opt-out mechanism for AI training use of content
- No explicit COPPA compliance procedures described for users aged 13-17, despite minimum age of 13 being stated
Fair Terms
- Users explicitly retain ownership of their content — 'What's yours is yours' is stated clearly
- UK users are explicitly given the right to challenge enforcement actions under the Online Safety Act 2023 via an internal complaints process or court
- EU users are given rights to challenge certain decisions under the Digital Services Act via internal process or out-of-court dispute settlement
- A copyright reporting process and designated copyright agent are explicitly provided
- The document acknowledges that terms vary by region and that EU/UK users have additional protections
- The document transparently discloses in its summary that advertising will be shown in exchange for free access to the service
Document information only — not legal advice.