Is Snapchat's Terms of Service safe?

Top concerning points

1. 1.

   You waive your moral rights

   blocker

   High

   Moral rights are rights to creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, as well as directors of films. "The moral rights include the right of attribution, the right to have a work published anonymously or pseudonymously, and the right to the integrity of the work. The preserving of the integrity of the work allows the author to object to alteration, distortion, or mutilation of the work that is "prejudicial to the author's honor or reputation". Anything else that may detract from the artist's relationship with the work even after it leaves the artist's possession or ownership may bring these moral rights into play. Moral rights are distinct from any economic rights tied to copyrights. Even if an artist has assigned his or her copyright rights to a work to a third party, he or she still maintains the moral rights to the work." -Wikipedia In general, any terms that use the exact words "moral rights" as rights that are waived will fall under this Case.

   Source quote / document
2. 2.

   This service holds onto content that you've deleted

   blocker

   High

   Content may remain in backup servers and be retained after deletion, and thus never be completely deleted. This case doesn't apply to contributions that can't be removed due to the nature of the service.

   Source quote / document
3. 3.

   The service uses your personal data for advertising

   bad

   High

   Your interaction with the service and data you have shared with them may be gathered to create an advertising ID or profile to target ads on you, either on the website you were visiting or in third party websites.

   Source quote / document
4. 4.

   This service can license user content to third parties

   bad

   High

   By posting content through the Services, users grant them a transferable and/or sublicensable right, which allows user content to be licensed to third parties.

   Source quote / document
5. 5.

   This service tracks you on other websites

   bad

   High

   The service may use tracking technologies in third-party websites to track your online activity while you aren't visiting their Site.

   Source quote / document
6. 6.

   The service uses your personal data to employ targeted third-party advertising

   bad

   High

   Your Personal Information is traded and shared with advertising companies to target ads on you, either on the website you were visiting or in third party websites. Your interaction with the service and data you have shared with them may be gathered to create an advertising ID or profile.

   Source quote / document
7. 7.

   This service shares your personal data with third parties that are not involved in its operation

   bad

   High

   Your personal data is or may be given to third parties nonessential to the service’s operation. This could be a business partner that receives your data to provide targeted advertisements.

   Source quote / document
8. 8.

   You waive your right to a class action.

   bad

   High

   The right to be represented in a class action (or representative action) exists in the US and some European countries. It allows people who have been similarly injured by the same accused to take legal action by a single lawsuit instead of individually. Some Terms of Service try to limit that right. By agreeing to them, you could waive (= renounce to) your right to a class action, which might reduce your chances to be successful in a case.

   Source quote / document

Frequently asked questions

What is Snapchat's ToS;DR privacy grade?

ToS;DR rates Snapchat as Grade E. Grades range from A (best) to E (worst). See the full breakdown on ToS;DR.

Is Snapchat's Terms of Service safe?

ToS;DR's Grade E means the terms raise serious concerns. Read the blocker and bad points carefully before accepting.

What is a top concern in Snapchat's terms?

You waive your moral rights — Moral rights are rights to creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, as well as directors of films. "The moral rights include the right of attribution, the right to have a work published anonymously or pseudonymously, and the right to the integrity of the work. The preserving of the integrity of the work allows the author to object to alteration, distortion, or mutilation of the work that is "prejudicial to the author's honor or reputation". Anything else that may detract from the artist's relationship with the work even after it leaves the artist's possession or ownership may bring these moral rights into play. Moral rights are distinct from any economic rights tied to copyrights. Even if an artist has assigned his or her copyright rights to a work to a third party, he or she still maintains the moral rights to the work." -Wikipedia In general, any terms that use the exact words "moral rights" as rights that are waived will fall under this Case. (Source: ToS;DR approved point).

Where can I read Snapchat's official terms?

ToS;DR tracks "Custom Creative Tools Terms" at https://www.snap.com/en-US/terms/custom-creative-tools/. Always prefer the official document over summaries.