5 Terms of Service Red Flags You Should Never Ignore

We all do it. We scroll to the bottom and click “I Agree.” It is the biggest lie on the internet.

Corporations know you won’t read it. That’s why they stuff those documents with legal garbage designed to strip you of your rights before you even create an account.

Here are the 5 Red Flags to Ctrl+F for before you sign your life away.

1. “Forced Arbitration” & “Class Action Waiver”

• What it says: “Any dispute shall be resolved by binding arbitration…”
• What it means: You are signing away your right to sue them in a real court. You cannot join a class action lawsuit (like the Walmart settlement). Instead, you have to go to a private judge — who is often hired by a firm the company uses repeatedly. It’s a rigged game.
• The Fix: Some companies allow you to “opt out” of this clause by sending an email within 30 days. Google “[Company Name] arbitration opt out” to check.

2. “We May Change These Terms at Any Time”

• What it says: “We reserve the right to modify these terms…”
• What it means: The deal you signed today might not be the deal tomorrow. They can add fees, change privacy rules, or remove features whenever they feel like it. Your “continued use” counts as saying “Yes, please, thank you.”

3. “Perpetual, Irrevocable License”

• What it says: “You grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use your User Content…”
• What it means: You still “own” your photo/art/video, but they can use it for anything — billboards, AI training, ads — forever, without paying you a dime. You’re doing their work for free.

4. “Third-Party Partners”

• What it says: “We share data with trusted third-party partners.”
• What it means: This is often code for “Data Brokers.” Unless they list the partners specifically, assume this list includes anyone willing to cut a check for your data.

5. “Indemnification”

• What it says: “You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless…”
• What it means: If the company gets sued because of something you did on their platform, you have to pay their legal bills. The audacity is truly breathtaking.

Written by: Companies Behaving Badly

The team behind it all.