Signal
Weighted across nine legal categories. Lower is worse.
Executive summary
Signal offers strong privacy protection with end-to-end encryption for messages and calls, no data monetization, and minimal data collection. However, the terms allow broad account termination without notice and permit terms changes through continued-use acceptance without advance email notification. For a free privacy-focused messaging service, the liability disclaimers and venue limitations are typical, but consumers should understand that their accounts can be terminated at Signal's sole discretion and that they cannot easily exercise control over terms changes.
Category breakdown
1 of the nine categories are not addressed by this document, so they are left out rather than scored.
Acceptance of Terms & Scope
Contract formation and service boundaries
Signal provides clear acceptance through installation or use. Age requirement (13+) is explicit and complies with COPPA. Service scope is well-defined (private messaging, calling, related services). Language is plain and understandable. Acceptance mechanism is straightforward, though explicit clickwrap is not mentioned.
Key findings
- Clear age requirement (13 years minimum) with acknowledgment of higher minimums in some countries
- Acceptance through installation or use of apps, services, or website
- Service scope clearly defined as messaging, calling, and related services
- Plain language explanations throughout
- No complex legalese or buried terms
Evidence from the document
You agree to our Terms of Service ('Terms') by installing or using our apps, services, or website (together, 'Services').
You must be at least 13 years old to use our Services. The minimum age to use our Services without parental approval may be higher in your home country.
Signal Messenger LLC. ('Signal') utilizes state-of-the-art security and end-to-end encryption to provide private messaging, Internet calling, and other services to users worldwide.
Recommendations
- Review the account termination section before creating an account, as Signal reserves broad termination rights
- Understand that terms changes are accepted through continued use, so review updates to the Last Modified date
- Consider whether you are comfortable with California law governing your use
User Accounts
Registration, suspension, and termination
Account creation is simple and privacy-respecting (phone number only, with optional profile details). Users can self-terminate anytime by uninstalling. However, Signal reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts 'anytime for any reason' without notice, explanation, opportunity to cure, or appeal process. No data export options are mentioned. The broad termination clause without procedural safeguards is a significant consumer protection gap.
Key findings
- Registration requires only phone number, no excessive personal data required
- Users can self-terminate anytime by uninstalling and discontinuing use
- Signal can suspend or terminate 'anytime for any reason, such as if you violate the letter or spirit of our Terms'
- No notice period before termination
- No appeal process or opportunity to cure violations
- No data export or preservation options mentioned
- Reregistration prohibited without Signal permission after account termination
Evidence from the document
We may modify, suspend, or terminate your access to or use of our Services anytime for any reason, such as if you violate the letter or spirit of our Terms or create harm, risk, or possible legal exposure for Signal.
If we disable your account for a violation of our Terms, you will not create another account without our permission.
You are responsible for keeping your device and your Signal account safe and secure. If you lose your phone, follow the steps on our Support site to re-register for our Services.
Recommendations
- Before relying on Signal for critical communications, understand that your account can be terminated without warning or explanation
- Regularly backup important conversations, as Signal does not provide data export tools before termination
- Review Signal's posted community guidelines to understand what the 'spirit of our Terms' might include
- Keep your device secure, as Signal has no ability to recover or restore accounts
Intellectual Property & UGC
Content ownership and licensing
Signal explicitly confirms that users own the information they submit. Signal does not claim ownership of user-generated content or messages. Signal retains only its own IP rights (copyrights, trademarks, patents in the Service itself). End-to-end encryption and server-side message queuing ensure user content is never accessed or modified by Signal. No mention of Signal using user content for training, advertising, or monetization. This is consumer-friendly IP treatment.
Key findings
- Users retain full ownership of information submitted through Signal
- Signal claims ownership only of its own copyrights, trademarks, domains, patents, and related IP in the Service
- Message history stored exclusively on user devices, never on Signal servers for user access
- Signal cannot decrypt or access message content due to end-to-end encryption
- Limited, revocable, non-exclusive license granted to users to use the Service
- No mention of Signal sublicensing, commercializing, or modifying user content
Evidence from the document
You own the information you submit through our Services.
Signal grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, and non-transferable license to use our Services in accordance with these Terms.
Signal cannot decrypt or otherwise access the content of your messages or calls. Signal queues end-to-end encrypted messages on its servers for delivery to devices that are temporarily offline (e.g. a phone whose battery has died). Your message history is stored on your own devices.
Recommendations
- Understand that your messages and profile information remain your property
- Note that messages are deleted from Signal servers once delivered; Signal retains no copy for data harvesting
- Exercise care with contact information, as the contact-discovery service hashes and sends contact data to Signal's servers
- If you delete your account, your message history remains on your own devices; Signal's servers contain no backup
Data Privacy
Data collection, usage, and protection
Signal's privacy practices are exceptionally strong for a messaging platform. The company does not sell, rent, or monetize personal data. Messages and calls are always end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to Signal. Account information (profile name, picture) is also encrypted. Data collection is minimized to technical metadata required for service operation. Contact discovery uses privacy-preserving hashing. Data sharing occurs only for legal compliance, fraud prevention, and security. However, metadata (authentication tokens, push tokens) is collected and stored, and international data transfers to the US are mentioned. The privacy policy is dated 2018 and has not been visibly updated.
Key findings
- Signal explicitly commits to never selling, renting, or monetizing personal data or content
- Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be accessed by Signal
- Profile information (name, picture) is also end-to-end encrypted
- Message history stored only on user devices, not on Signal servers
- Contact discovery uses cryptographic hashing to minimize privacy exposure
- Metadata collection limited to technical information necessary for service operation
- Data sharing permitted only for legal compliance, fraud prevention, and security
- International data transfer to US and other countries mentioned but data is encrypted
- Privacy policy is effective and updated as of May 25, 2018 (no recent updates visible)
Evidence from the document
Signal does not sell, rent or monetize your personal data or content in any way – ever.
Signal cannot decrypt or otherwise access the content of your messages or calls.
Signal queues end-to-end encrypted messages on its servers for delivery to devices that are temporarily offline (e.g. a phone whose battery has died). Your message history is stored on your own devices.
Signal limits this additional technical information to the minimum required to operate the Services.
Information from the contacts on your device may be cryptographically hashed and transmitted to the server in order to determine which of your contacts are registered.
Recommendations
- Review the metadata limitations: Signal still collects authentication tokens, push tokens, and related technical data
- Understand that while Signal is end-to-end encrypted, metadata (who you communicate with, when, for how long) may be collected
- Be aware of international data transfer to the US; consider local privacy law implications
- If you have concerns about metadata collection, consider using features like Registration Lock to add additional privacy protection
- Contact Signal directly if you have questions about data handling, as the privacy policy may have been updated after May 2018
Limitation of Liability
Risk allocation and legal protection
Signal provides broad disclaimers in all-caps, stating services are provided 'AS IS' without warranties. Liability is capped at $100 total, which is reasonable for a free service. Signal disclaims liability for lost profits, consequential damages, and third-party actions. The disclaimers are conspicuous and clear, and Signal acknowledges that some jurisdictions may not permit such limitations. For a free service, the $100 cap is more reasonable than for paid services, though the breadth of the disclaimers is extensive.
Key findings
- Broad 'AS IS' disclaimer without express or implied warranties
- No warranty of accuracy, completeness, usefulness, or error-free operation
- Liability cap set at $100 aggregate for all claims
- Consequential, special, punitive, indirect, and incidental damages excluded
- No liability for user actions or third-party actions
- No warranty regarding emergency service access
- Language is in all caps, making it conspicuous
- Acknowledgment that some jurisdictions may not permit such limitations
Evidence from the document
YOU USE OUR SERVICES AT YOUR OWN RISK AND SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMERS. WE PROVIDE OUR SERVICES ON AN 'AS IS' BASIS WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND FREEDOM FROM COMPUTER VIRUS OR OTHER HARMFUL CODE.
OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY RELATING TO, ARISING OUT OF, OR IN ANY WAY IN CONNECTION WITH OUR TERMS, US, OR OUR SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).
Our Services do not provide access to emergency service providers like the police, fire department, hospitals, or other public safety organizations. Make sure you can contact emergency service providers through a mobile, fixed-line telephone, or other service.
Recommendations
- Understand that Signal provides no guarantee of uptime, accuracy, or security beyond end-to-end encryption
- Recognize that if Signal experiences a service outage or data issue, your maximum recovery is $100
- Do not rely on Signal as a substitute for emergency services; maintain a separate way to contact emergency responders
- If you suffer significant harm (data loss, service disruption), your remedies are limited to this $100 cap
- Be aware that this disclaimer may not apply fully in your jurisdiction; check local law
Indemnification
Legal responsibility allocation
No indemnification clause is present in Signal's terms. Signal does not demand that users indemnify, defend, or hold harmless Signal or its affiliates against third-party claims. This absence is favorable to consumers and is not a consumer protection gap. The lack of a one-way indemnity clause is a positive indicator of consumer-friendly terms. Low confidence reflects the category not being explicitly addressed.
Key findings
- No user indemnification clause requiring users to defend or indemnify Signal
- No demands for users to pay Signal's legal fees or third-party claims
- Absence of indemnity is not a consumer harm; it is consumer-protective
- Release clause in disclaimers section is limited to third-party claims, not affirmative indemnity
Evidence from the document
[No indemnification language present in document]
Recommendations
- Note that Signal does not shift litigation costs to users through indemnification
- Understand that the release clause only covers claims between you and third parties, not indemnity obligations to Signal
- This is a favorable term compared to many digital services
Modification of Terms
How agreements can be changed
Signal reserves the right to update terms at any time and will update the 'Last Modified' date. Changes are accepted through 'continued use of our Services' without requiring affirmative re-acceptance. No advance email notice or opt-out window is mentioned. This 'continued use constitutes acceptance' mechanism without accompanying advance notice is the pattern condemned in Harris v. Blockbuster. No archive of prior versions is mentioned. Consumers cannot easily reject specific changes; the only remedy is to stop using the service.
Key findings
- Signal can modify terms at any time at its sole discretion
- Changes are deemed accepted through continued use, not affirmative re-acceptance
- Promise to update 'Last Modified' date, but no advance email notice mentioned
- No defined materiality threshold; Signal determines what constitutes a change
- No archive or changelog of prior versions mentioned
- No right to opt out of specific changes while continuing to use the service
- Quitting the service is the only remedy for objecting to changes
- No indication of prospective-only application or protection of accrued rights
Evidence from the document
Signal may update the Terms from time to time. When we update our Terms, we will update the 'Last Modified' date associated with the updated Terms. Your continued use of our Services confirms your acceptance of our updated Terms and supersedes any prior Terms.
If you do not agree with our Terms, you should stop using our Services.
Recommendations
- Monitor the 'Last Modified' date on Signal's terms page regularly
- When Signal updates its terms, review the changes carefully, especially sections on data use, dispute resolution, and liability
- Consider saving or screenshotting the terms as they stand when you create your account
- If a material change is made that you cannot accept, uninstall Signal before continuing to use it to avoid accepting the new terms
- Be aware that this 'continued use' acceptance model is weaker than advance email notice plus affirmative opt-in
Governing Law & Disputes
Jurisdiction and conflict resolution
Signal preserves court access in the US (no mandatory arbitration). Disputes are resolved in the US District Court for the Northern District of California or California state courts in San Mateo County. California law governs. Notably, there is no class action waiver and no jury trial waiver, which are strong consumer protections. The exclusive venue is limited to California, which may be inconvenient for non-California users, but is reasonable for a US-based company. International users have no local forum option, which is a limitation. Small claims are likely preserved (though not explicitly stated) as a matter of US law.
Key findings
- Exclusive venue limited to US District Court for Northern District of California or San Mateo County state court
- No mandatory pre-dispute arbitration; courts are preserved
- No class action waiver; class actions are permitted
- No jury trial waiver; jury trials are available
- California law governs all disputes
- Personal jurisdiction requirement in California federal or state courts
- No mention of arbitration fees or company payment of arbitration costs (because arbitration is not required)
- International users have no local forum option
Evidence from the document
You agree to resolve any Claim you have with us relating to or arising out of our Terms, us, or our Services exclusively in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California or a state court in San Mateo County, California. You also agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating all such disputes.
The laws of the State of California govern our Terms, as well as any disputes, whether in court or arbitration, which might arise between Signal and you, without regard to conflict of law provisions.
Recommendations
- Understand that you must litigate any dispute in California courts, which may be inconvenient if you are outside California
- Exercise your right to bring claims in small claims court if your damages are small (usually under $5,000-$10,000 depending on state)
- Know that you retain your right to join class actions against Signal
- Recognize that jury trial rights are preserved, which is favorable to consumers
- If you are outside the US, understand that you may need to travel to California to litigate a claim
Ex-TerCo provides automated analysis of legal documents for informational purposes. This is not legal advice. Terms can change at any time.