Terms of Service Reviewer

Wondering if there's anything questionable in those Terms of Service you're about to agree to? Let ToS Reviewer take a look through them to make sure nothing shady is hiding in all that legalese.

Specifically, this agent will look for the following:

• Auto-renewal -- you don't want to get hit with a surprise bill

• Excessive commitment periods -- you want to know you won't be trapped in an agreement

• Variable pricing or hidden fees -- you want to know exactly how much you're going to pay for the service you're signing up for

• Non-compete clauses -- if you're signing up for a service as an employee of a company, your company might not want to be barred from offering services in the same category

• Non-solicit clauses -- if you're singing up for a service as an employee of a company, your company might not want to be barred from hiring employees of that service

• Publicity -- if you're signing up for a service as an employee of a company, you want to make sure your company keeps control of is brand and logo

• Unlimited liability -- you definitely don't want your liability to be unlimited

• IP representations and warranties -- if you're signing an agreement that should give you access to use a piece of intellectual property, the agreement should explicitly tell you what you're getting access to

• Ownership clauses -- if you're signing an agreement that should give you ownership of something, you want the agreement to explicitly grant you ownership of it

• Unilateral modification clauses -- Many ToS agreements include provisions allowing the service provider to modify terms at any time without prior notice. That's sneaky. You want to know that you'll be bound by the terms you're agreeing to today, not a revised version they release tomorrow.

• Arbitration and class action waivers -- Arbitration clauses require disputes to be resolved through private arbitration rather than in court, often prohibiting class action lawsuits. These terms disproportionately favor corporations, as arbitration proceedings are typically confidential, lack precedential value, and limit discovery processes.

• Data usage and privacy policies -- These frequently grant companies expansive rights to collect, analyze, and share your data. Sometimes this is required for the service they provide, but you should always be aware if this is included in the terms.

• Jurisdiction and governing law provisions -- These designate specific jurisdictions for legal disputes, often favoring the provider’s home state or country. That's not necessarily bad, especially if the company is based near where you live, but you want to avoid agreeing to terms that could disadvantage you by imposing travel costs and unfamiliar legal standards if you have a falling out with the company.

• Third-party sharing and indemnification -- ToS agreements often authorize data sharing with affiliates, advertisers, or "trusted partners." Indemnification clauses compound these risks by requiring users to pay legal costs if third parties sue the provider—a one-sided obligation present in 55% of software licenses.

The agent will also look for any terms that are confusing, unusual, or unclear and alert you to them. I hope this helps!

(NOTE: This agent isn't a lawyer and wasn't built by a lawyer. This is for personal reference only and not actual legal advice. If you a signing up for a service on behalf of a company, always loop in your legal team first!)