Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
Barnes & Noble's privacy policy includes several aspects that could be disadvantageous to users. The company reserves the right to modify its privacy policy at any time, only committing to notify users of 'less protective' changes before they take effect. Additionally, when users engage with co-branded services, websites operated on behalf of third parties, or certain digital content providers, their personal information will be subject to the third-party's privacy policies, which may differ from Barnes & Noble's (risk_flags-2, risk_flags-3, risk_flags-4).
93% confidence
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Risk Flags
1 finding
Clauses that indicate potential risks or harms to the user, including one-sided terms, disclaimers of responsibility, or terms that may be difficult for users to understand or exercise.
medium95% confidence
Third-Party Privacy Policies Apply to Websites Operated by Barnes & Noble on Behalf of Third Parties
If Barnes & Noble operates a website on behalf of a third party, and a user provides information on that website, the information may be shared between Barnes & Noble and the third party. The third party's treatment of the user's information will be subject to the third party's privacy policy, not Barnes & Noble's.
Why it matters: When using Barnes & Noble websites operated for third parties, users' personal information will be subject to the third party's privacy policy, which may have different data handling practices than Barnes & Noble's policy.
In some instances, we may operate a Barnes & Noble Website on behalf of a third party. If you provide information in connection with a Barnes & Noble Website operated by Barnes & Noble on behalf of a third party, that information may be shared between Barnes & Noble and the third party. Although Barnes & Noble’s treatment of the information is governed by this policy, the third party’s treatment of your information will be subject to the third party’s privacy policy.
Cookies, paragraph 42 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use
All clear
Clauses that describe how the company collects, processes, and shares user data, especially those that may be concerning.
✓
Looking good
No data-use concerns flagged
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No source-backed data-use findings are shown here.
Cancellation and Renewal
All clear
Clauses that outline the terms and conditions related to subscription cancellations, renewals, and refunds.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
All clear
Potentially problematic clauses that may be hidden or difficult to understand, or that significantly impact user rights or obligations.
✓
Looking good
No hidden gotchas
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. Nothing easy-to-miss stood out in this section.
Protections
5 findings
Clauses that describe features, policies, or practices that protect users or offer them control over their data and experience.
Protection95% confidence
Parental Consent Required for Minors' Data Collection
If Barnes & Noble directs Device features or Apps to Minors under 16, they require the parent or legal guardian to provide verifiable consent for the Minor's use and personal information collection. This includes validating credit card information or not registering consent if invalid.
Why it helps: This helps protect minors' privacy by requiring explicit parental consent before collecting their personal information through certain device features or apps, ensuring parents have control over their child's data.
If we direct certain Devices features or Apps to Minors who may be under the age of 16, we require the parent or legal guardian to provide verifiable consent to such Minor’s use of our products and services and our collection of personal information in connection with such use. In these cases, we require validation of credit card information already on file with us and we will then email the master account holder to give notice that we have received such consent. If no credit card information is on file, or if the credit card is invalid, we will not register that you have consented.
Cookies, paragraph 54 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
Parental Right to Request Information and Deletion of Minor's Data
Parents or guardians who believe their Minor under 16 has submitted personal information without consent can contact Barnes & Noble. Upon verification, Barnes & Noble will provide information collected about the child and, at the parent's request, remove the personal information from its database and instruct affiliates to do the same.
Why it helps: This allows parents to actively manage and protect their children's privacy by providing a clear process to inquire about and delete any personal information collected from minors without consent.
If you are a parent or guardian who believes that your Minor under the age of 16 has submitted personal information or other information to us without your consent, please contact privacy@barnesandnoble.com . Once we verify that you are the parent or legal guardian, at your request, we will promptly provide to you information regarding what, if any, personal information we have collected about your child and how it has been used or shared. We will, at your request, remove personal information about your child from its database and instruct our affiliates to do the same.
Cookies, paragraph 55 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
Right to Opt-Out of Marketing and Promotional Communications
Users can opt out of receiving marketing and promotional communications from Barnes & Noble at any time by following instructions provided in emails, logging into their account, or contacting customer service.
Why it helps: This provides users with control over the types of communications they receive, allowing them to stop unwanted marketing and promotional messages.
You may choose to opt out from receiving marketing and promotional communications from Barnes & Noble at any time by following the instructions below.
Cookies, paragraph 58 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
Right to Opt-Out of Targeted Advertising and Data Sharing/Sale
Users have the right to opt out of targeted advertising, sharing, and selling of personal information, as defined under certain state laws. This can be done through the Privacy Preference Center for cookie-based advertising or the Data Rights Request portal for non-cookie based methods, and by exercising legally-recognized opt-out preference signals like Global Privacy Control.
Why it helps: This empowers users to control how their personal information is used for advertising purposes, including opting out of targeted advertising and the sharing or selling of their data under relevant privacy laws.
You may choose to opt out of targeted advertising, by following the instructions given in section entitled Information Automatically Collected above, or by using the functionality in your browser to reject cookies. You may also opt out of the sharing of your personal information for targeted advertising purposes by visiting the following link: Do Not Sell My Personal Information or by visiting our Services with a legally-recognized opt-out preference signal enabled (such as the Global Privacy Control).
Cookies, paragraph 71 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
Right to Access, Correct, and Request Deletion of Personal Information
Users have the right to request a copy of their personal information, have inaccuracies corrected, and request deletion of their personal information. Barnes & Noble will comply with deletion requests if required by law, but notes that they may need to retain information for legal obligations, dispute resolution, or business purposes.
Why it helps: This provides users with fundamental rights to manage their personal data, ensuring they can access, correct, and request deletion of their information, thereby increasing transparency and control.
You have the right to ask us not to use your personal information for direct marketing purposes. You have the right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you and to have any inaccuracies rectified. You have the right to request that we delete your personal information. If required by law we will grant a request to delete information, but you should note that in many situations we must keep your personal information to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or for another one of our business purposes.
Cookies, paragraph 75 · Citation strength: strong
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