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Plain-English summary
Bluesky's privacy policy states that it cannot guarantee the security or privacy of your information due to electronic hosting (risk_flags-1). Most user activity, including posts and profile information, is public by design (risk_flags-2). Direct messages are unencrypted and accessible for Trust & Safety purposes (risk_flags-3). The policy indicates that Bluesky does not respond to 'Do Not Track' signals (risk_flags-4). The company retains personal data for an extended period for various purposes (data_use-1) and may collect personal data from third parties for age/identity verification, using methods like government IDs or facial scans. Information shared with third-party services is subject to their privacy policies (data_use-3), and personal information may be processed during corporate transactions (data_use-4). Policy updates are effective upon posting (gotchas-1), and users are advised to review the Privacy Notice regularly.
93% confidence
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Follow up on findings with grounded answers from this review. Not legal advice.
Risk Flags
4 findings
Critical terms that can lead to significant user harm. These include one-sided dispute resolution, limitations on data rights, and unaccountable termination clauses.
high95% confidence
Information Security is Not Guaranteed
Bluesky cannot guarantee the security or privacy of user information because its services are hosted electronically.
Why it matters: Your personal information may not be fully secure or private due to the inherent risks of electronic hosting, despite Bluesky's efforts.
We make reasonable efforts to protect your information by using physical and electronic safeguards designed to improve the security of the information we maintain. However, as our Services are hosted electronically, we can make no guarantees as to the security or privacy of your information.
Security, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
medium95% confidence
Public Nature of User Posts and Profile
Most user activity on Bluesky, including posts, profile, likes, following, and blocks, is public by design.
Why it matters: Information you share, such as posts, profile details, likes, and who you follow or block, is publicly visible.
Bluesky is a decentralized microblogging service where most user activity is public by design. This includes your posts, profile, likes, following, and blocks.
How We Share your Personal Data, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
medium95% confidence
Unencrypted Direct Messages Accessible for Trust & Safety
Bluesky stores and processes your direct messages, and these messages are unencrypted and can be accessed for Trust & Safety purposes.
Why it matters: Your direct messages are not encrypted and can be accessed by Bluesky for Trust & Safety reasons.
Your Direct Messages. We store and process your direct messages so you can communicate directly with other users on the Bluesky App. These are unencrypted and can be accessed for Trust & Safety purposes.
Personal Data We Collect, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
low95% confidence
No Response to Do Not Track Signals
Bluesky currently does not respond to or honor Do Not Track (DNT) signals or similar mechanisms transmitted by web browsers, as there is no consistent industry standard for compliance.
Why it matters: Your web browser's "Do Not Track" setting will not be honored by Bluesky, meaning your online activity may still be tracked despite this preference.
"Do Not Track". Do Not Track ( "DNT" ) is a privacy preference that users can set in certain web browsers. Please note that we currently do not respond to or honor DNT signals or similar mechanisms transmitted by web browsers, as there is no consistent industry standard for compliance.
Your Privacy Choices and Rights, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use
3 findings
How the company collects, uses, and shares your personal information.
medium95% confidence
Broad Data Retention Policy
Bluesky keeps collected Personal Data for as long as a user uses the services or as necessary to fulfill the purpose(s) for which it was collected, and also for reasons such as resolving disputes, establishing legal defenses, conducting audits, pursuing legitimate business purposes, enforcing agreements, for trust and safety purposes, and complying with applicable laws.
Why it matters: Bluesky may retain your personal data for a long time, potentially even after you stop using the service, for various business and legal reasons.
We keep the Personal Data we collect for as long as you use the Bluesky App Services, or as necessary to fulfill the purpose(s) for which we collected it. There are also other reasons why we may keep personal information. They may include, but are not limited to, providing Bluesky and Services, resolving disputes, establishing legal defenses, conducting audits, pursuing legitimate business purposes, enforcing our agreements, for trust and safety purposes, and complying with applicable laws.
Retention of Personal Data, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
medium95% confidence
Sharing with Third-Party Services
Bluesky may link to or allow users to interface, interact, share information with, or direct Bluesky to share information with Third-party Services, and any information shared will be subject to that Third-Party Service's privacy policy.
Why it matters: When you interact with third-party services through Bluesky, any personal information you share or that Bluesky shares on your behalf will be governed by the privacy policies of those third-party services, not Bluesky's.
Bluesky may link to or allow you to interface, interact, share information with, direct us to share information with, access and/or use Third-party Services. If you do, the information you share will be subject to any Third-Party Service's privacy policy. For example, if you request that we share your personal information with a developer application or payment processor, we may facilitate the request.
How We Share your Personal Data, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
medium95% confidence
Sharing for Business Transactions
In the event of a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, purchase or sale of assets, transition of service, or similar corporate transaction, user personal information may be processed as part of such a transaction.
Why it matters: Your personal information may be transferred and processed as part of corporate transactions like mergers or sales, potentially exposing it to new entities.
Sharing in the Event of Merger, Sale, or Other Asset Transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, purchase or sale of assets, transition of service to another provider, or other similar corporate transaction, your personal information may be processed as part of such a transaction.
How We Share your Personal Data, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation & Renewal
All clear
Terms related to how subscriptions renew, how to cancel, and any associated fees or conditions.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
1 finding
Potentially overlooked clauses that may be to the user's disadvantage. These include automatic consent to policy changes, required arbitration, and broad indemnification clauses.
medium95% confidence
Updates to Policy are Effective Upon Posting
Bluesky may update its Policy from time to time, and any updates will be effective when the revised Policy is posted on Bluesky.
Why it matters: Changes to the privacy policy can become effective immediately upon being posted, so you need to regularly check for updates to stay informed.
We may update this Policy from time to time, and any updates will be effective when we post the revised Policy on Bluesky.
Terms of Service and our, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Protections
3 findings
These clauses are beneficial to the user and outline ways the company protects user rights or provides user control.
Protection95% confidence
Option to Opt-Out of Marketing Communications
Users can opt out of receiving marketing communications by using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each marketing email.
Why it helps: You have control over receiving marketing emails and can stop them at any time using a provided unsubscribe link.
You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications from us by using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each e-mail.
Commitment Not to Retain Biometric or Facial Data from Age Verification
Bluesky states that it does not retain any biometric data or facial images provided to third-party age verification vendors.
Why it helps: Your biometric data or facial images used for age verification are not kept by Bluesky, which helps protect your privacy.
We do not retain any biometric data or facial images provided to third-party age verification vendors.
Personal Data We Collect, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
No Sale or Sharing of Personal Data for Targeted Advertising
Bluesky states that it does not sell or share Personal Data for the purpose of displaying advertisements that are selected based on Personal Data from user activities or use of Bluesky, also known as "Targeted Advertising."
Why it helps: Your personal data will not be sold or shared for targeted advertising purposes, which protects your privacy from personalized ad tracking.
No Targeted Advertising Sales. We do not sell or share Personal Data for the purpose of displaying advertisements that are selected based on Personal Data from your activities on or use of Bluesky (" Targeted Advertising ").
We generally retain Personal Data as follows:, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
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