Fineprint
Proton
proton.meProton's terms have two serious problems: you must watch for term changes yourself because Proton does not have to warn you, and you cannot sue Proton if a security failure or data loss harms you. Four things need caution—arbitration rules limit how you can fight back in court, account suspension rules are unclear, deleted data may be kept for an unknown time, and subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel first. Three things looked fine, including no location tracking, no data selling, and no AI training on your content. One issue did not get a clear answer.
Content licenseNot sure›
We could not determine this from the documents, so we are not guessing.
AI training on your contentProton Scribe explicitly states it does not use your content or any data to train its models.Clear›
… to have it operate server side, in which case only the minimal data necessary to make our service function will be shared with the servers. No log, account data or content data will be stored on our servers. Proton Scribe does not use content data or any of your data to train its models. 2.12 Dark Web Monitor: Dark Web Monitor is an opt-in feature that scans hidden parts of the internet for breached or stolen personal data in relation with your Account. When you activate this feature, our systems will …
In plain termsIt is like a tutor who never opens your notebook unless you hand it over and clearly say yes.
View in the source →Selling or sharing your dataNo user data is shared with third parties; limited sharing is only with service providers (payments, support) or when legally required.Clear›
… When you activate this feature, our systems will scan data associated with your Account (such as email addresses, usernames, phone numbers) against our own threat intelligence datasets and inform you of any detection. No user data is ever shared with third parties in that process. 2.13 Social Media: We are active on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, Reddit, and Mastodon. Any information, communication, or material you submit to us via social media platforms is done at your own risk without …
In plain termsIt is like the store keeping your list to itself and only showing the card processor enough to ring you up.
View in the source →Right to sueBinding arbitration and class action waiver apply, but you can opt out in writing within 30 days of agreeing.Caution›
… or unenforceable, any putative class, private attorney general, or consolidated or representative action must be brought in a court of proper jurisdiction and not in arbitration. Opt out provision and governing law. You have the right to opt-out and not be bound by the arbitration provisions including or excluding the class action waiver set forth in these Terms by sending written notice of your decision to opt-out to: Proton AG Attn: Legal Route de la Galaise 32, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates Geneva, Switzerland The opt-out notice must be sent to the foregoing address within 30 calendar days of your first agreeing to these Terms. Should you not opt out in accordance with this section within the 30-day period, then this …
In plain termsIt is like a private-referee clause you can escape if you mail an opt-out in time, or just a faraway court they picked.
View in the source →Changes to the termsNo advance notice required; users must monitor terms themselves and continued use counts as consent.Flag›
… is applied at the end of your current subscription cycle. 11. Modification to the Terms of Service Within the limits of applicable law, the Company reserves the right to review and change these Terms at any time. As long as you are using your Account or the Services, you are responsible for regularly reviewing these Terms. Continued use of your Account or the Services, including non-deletion of your Account after such changes are performed shall constitute your consent to them. The latest Terms will apply going forward and to any dispute …
In plain termsIt is like a landlord rewriting your lease whenever they want and saying you agreed just by staying another night.
View in the source →TerminationAccount suspension is tied to Terms of Service breaches, but notice terms are not clearly stated.Most services we've read say thisCaution›
… in our products-specific policies. 6. Your privacy rights at Proton Through your Account interface, you can directly access, edit, delete, or export personal data processed by the Company in your use of the Services. If your Account has been suspended for a breach of our Terms of Service, and you would like to exercise the rights related to your personal data, you can make a request to our support team. In case of violation of your rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint to the competent supervisory authority. 7. Modifications to Privacy Policy Within the limits of applicable law, the Company reserves the …
In plain termsIt is like a club that can remove you for breaking a stated rule, with limited or after-the-fact notice.
View in the source →Biometric and locationApps do not access or track any location-based information from your device.Clear›
… by their respective privacy policies and Terms of Service. Such statistics can include most commonly used devices and operating systems, total number of installs and uninstalls, and the total number of active users. Our applications do not access or track any location-based information from your device. 2.11 Proton Scribe: Proton Scribe is a feature that allows you to use our self-developed writing assistant to help you compose your messages or documents. By default, this feature operates locally on your device. You …
In plain termsIt is like them never scanning your face and, at most, knowing your rough city rather than your exact spot.
View in the source →Data kept after you deleteTemporary data kept for anti-spam and Swiss legal requirements; duration tied to legitimate interests, no fixed end date.Caution›
… may be asked to verify using either Proton Captcha, email, or SMS. IP addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers provided are saved temporarily in order to send you a verification code and for anti-spam purposes. The period of temporary data retention is determined by our legitimate interests of protecting the service from spam, and also by any applicable Swiss legal requirements we must comply with. If this data is saved permanently, it is always saved as a cryptographic hash, which ensures that the raw values cannot be deciphered by us. Learn more 2.3 Referral program: Proton has a referral program that is open …
In plain termsIt is like a gym that shreds your file after a set wait, or holds it for reasons it names but never says for how long.
View in the source →Auto-renew and cancelingSubscriptions auto-renew but can be self-cancelled via the Account dashboard before the renewal date.Caution›
… on our Websites and Apps at the time of your initial purchase are subject to change. If the renewal price has changed, you will be charged the then-current price valid at the time of the renewal of your subscription. If you do not wish to continue using our paid Services, you must cancel your subscription before its renewal date by visiting your Account dashboard and following the cancel subscription steps. If you are unable to access your Account dashboard, you may cancel your subscription by contacting our Customer Support. Certain Proton subscription plans are intended for companies, businesses, and organizations. This …
In plain termsIt is like a subscription that renews on its own but tells you plainly and lets you cancel yourself anytime before it charges.
View in the source →If something goes wrongUsers explicitly waive the right to hold Proton liable for security failures or data loss from inactive account deletion.Flag›
… Proton Scribe. The Company has no obligation to store or forward the contents of terminated Accounts. We also have no obligation to store messages or contents for accounts that exceed their storage quotas. Furthermore, you will not hold the Company liable or seek indemnification if confidential material is unintentionally released as the result of a security failure or vulnerability in the performance of the Services or if data is deleted for an inactive account (see section 3). Due to the encrypted nature of the Services, you acknowledge that the Company has no ability or obligation to recover your data if you misplace your password. To the extent not prohibited by law, you …
In plain termsIt is like a mover who owes you nothing even when they are careless, or hands back a single dollar for a truck full of smashed boxes.
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