Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
This review of Meta's Terms of Service highlights several important considerations for users.
Meta may broadly use and share user information when legally required or permitted (risk_flags-1).
Account suspension or disablement can occur for conduct violations, with Meta having sole discretion in allowing new account creation after a ban (risk_flags-2, risk_flags-3).
Content deletion might not happen within 90 days if used by others, due to technical limits, or for legal/safety reasons (risk_flags-4).
User data is used to personalize ads and the overall experience, and data may be shared across Meta Companies for safety or misuse detection (data_use-1, data_use-2, data_use-3).
Content and data are transferred, stored, and distributed globally (data_use-4), and user names, profile pictures, and actions may be used in ads without compensation (data_use-5).
Finally, some content, like that in shared albums or page posts, is not automatically deleted upon account deletion and the license to content continues if others haven't deleted it (gotchas-1, gotchas-2).
89% 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 significantly harm users, often hidden in the fine print. These include clauses that limit consumer rights, allow for arbitrary service changes, or weaken data protection significantly.
high95% confidence
Meta can share collected information if it believes it's legally required or permitted
Meta may access, preserve, use, and share any information it collects about you if it has a good faith belief that it is required or permitted by law to do so.
Why it matters: Meta can access, preserve, use, and share your collected information without needing your explicit consent if they believe it's legally required or permitted, which may lead to broad disclosure of your data.
Meta may access, preserve, use and share any information it collects about you where it has a good faith belief it is required or permitted by law to do so.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 12 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Suspension or disablement of accounts for violations
Meta can suspend or disable your account for conduct that violates their provisions, as provided in Section 4.2.
Why it matters: Your account may be suspended or disabled if your conduct violates the terms, potentially leading to loss of access to the services.
We can also suspend or disable your account for conduct that violates these provisions, as provided in Section 4.2.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 39 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
Meta can deny new accounts after a previous violation ban
If Meta previously disabled your account for violations, you agree not to create another account without their permission. Receiving permission is at their sole discretion and does not imply the prior disciplinary action was wrong.
Why it matters: If your account is disabled for a violation, you might be permanently banned from creating new accounts, and Meta has sole discretion on whether to permit a new account.
If we disable your account for a violation of our Terms, the [Community Standards](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftransparency.meta.com%2Fpolicies%2Fcommunity-standards%2F&h=AUDpSxwNVWJOpaW6rzWVqLV708DCksBBgc_Mr1LofLiAJKjVMFCvPOk1FI_oD_qRHapiWKfz0oJgcIgWrq2lG9-7pbi9dgDYnBpK1iA4lvq70ZmgoVDuMVxlxDw7LoKAIiSld7i0iAJrG8L-VrW523EOSNuMyA), or other terms and policies, you agree not to create another account without our permission. Receiving permission to create a new account is provided at our sole discretion, and does not mean or imply that the disciplinary action was wrong or without cause.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 33 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
Content may not be deleted within 90 days in certain situations
Content will not be deleted within 90 days after account or content deletion process begins if it has been used by others who haven't deleted it, if technically not possible, or if it restricts Meta's ability to investigate illegal activity, protect safety, comply with legal obligations, or comply with requests from authorities.
Why it matters: Even after you request deletion of your content or account, your content may persist longer than 90 days if used by others, due to technical limitations, or if Meta needs it for legal or safety reasons.
Content will not be deleted within 90 days of the account deletion or content deletion process beginning in the following situations:
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 51 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use
5 findings
Details on how your data is collected, processed, and shared. This section highlights practices that might impact your privacy beyond what is generally expected for service functionality.
medium90% confidence
Personalized ads are shown based on personal data
By using their Products, you agree that Meta can show you ads they think may be relevant to you and your interests, using your personal data to determine which personalized ads to show you.
Why it matters: Your personal data will be used to show you targeted advertisements, which means your activities and interests will influence the ads you see.
By using our Products, you agree that we can show you ads that we think may be relevant to you and your interests. We use your personal data to help determine which personalized ads to show you.
Meta uses data about your connections, choices, settings, and what you share and do on and off their Products to personalize your experience.
Why it matters: Your online activities, interactions, and preferences are collected and used to customize your experience on Facebook, affecting the content, ads, and features you see.
For example, we use data about the connections you make, the choices and settings you select, and what you share and do on and off our Products - to personalize your experience.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Data shared across Meta Companies
Meta shares data across Meta Companies when it detects misuse or harmful conduct, or to help keep Meta Products, users, and the community safe.
Why it matters: Your data may be shared among different Meta Companies if there's a detection of misuse or harmful conduct, or for safety and security purposes, which can result in your data being available across various Meta-owned platforms.
We share data across [Meta Companies](https://www.facebook.com/legal/meta-companies) when we detect misuse or harmful conduct by someone using one of our Products or to help keep Meta Products, users and the community safe.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 12 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Global transfer, storage, and distribution of content and data
To operate their global services, Meta needs to transfer, store, and distribute content and data to data centers, partners, service providers, vendors, and systems worldwide, including outside your country of residence.
Why it matters: Your content and data will be processed and stored globally, potentially outside your country, which may subject your data to different privacy laws and regulations.
To operate our global services and enable you to connect with people around the world, we need to transfer, store and distribute content and data to our data centers, partners, service providers, vendors and systems around the world, including outside your country of residence.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 21 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
License to use your name, profile picture, and actions for ads without compensation
You give Meta permission to use your name, profile picture, and information about your actions on Facebook in connection with ads, offers, and other sponsored or commercial content displayed across their Products, without any compensation to you.
Why it matters: Your personal information, including your name, profile picture, and actions (like liking a page), may be used in advertisements and sponsored content across Meta's platforms without you receiving any payment.
You give us permission to use your name and profile picture and information about actions you have taken on Facebook next to or in connection with ads, offers, and other sponsored or commercial content that we display across our Products, without any compensation to you.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 56 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation and Renewal
All clear
Terms related to how subscriptions or services can be canceled, refund policies, and automatic renewal processes. This section checks for clarity and fairness in ending service agreements.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
2 findings
Surprising or non-obvious clauses that could negatively impact users, often found deep within legal text. These typically involve unconventional terms, unexpected liabilities, or strict, easily violated rules.
medium90% confidence
Account deletion does not automatically delete all associated content
Account deletion does not automatically delete content that you post as an admin of a page or content that you create collectively with other users, such as photos in Shared Albums.
Why it matters: When you delete your account, content you've contributed to pages or shared albums may remain visible to others, meaning some of your content persists even after account deletion.
Account deletion does not automatically delete content that you post as an admin of a page or content that you create collectively with other users, such as photos in Shared Albums which may continue to be visible to other album members.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 49 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
License to your content continues for content not deleted by others
The license to your content will continue to apply if your content has been used by others who have not deleted it.
Why it matters: Even if you delete your content, Meta's license to use it continues if others have used and not deleted that content, meaning it could remain visible or usable by Meta.
where your content has been used by others in accordance with this license and they have not deleted it (in which case this license will continue to apply until that content is deleted);
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 52 · Citation strength: strong
Protections
3 findings
Clauses that offer explicit benefits or safeguards to the user. This section highlights commitments by the service provider that enhance user rights, privacy, or convenience.
Protection95% confidence
Ownership of intellectual property in your content is retained
You retain ownership of the intellectual property rights (such as copyright or trademarks) in any content you create and share on Facebook and other Meta Company Products you use.
Why it helps: You maintain legal ownership of your original content, ensuring that your creative works and intellectual property remain yours even when shared on Meta's platforms.
You retain ownership of the intellectual property rights (things like copyright or trademarks) in any such content that you create and share on Facebook and other [Meta Company Products](https://www.facebook.com/help/1561485474074139?ref=tos) you use. Nothing in these Terms takes away the rights you have to your own content.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 46 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
License ends when content is deleted from systems
The license granted to Meta for your content will end when your content is deleted from their systems.
Why it helps: When you delete your content, Meta's permission to use it expires, giving you control over what content remains accessible to them over time.
This license will end when your content is deleted from our systems.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 48 · Citation strength: strong
Protection90% confidence
Deletion process for content can make it invisible to other users
While the deletion process for content is being undertaken, the content is no longer visible to other users.
Why it helps: During the deletion process, your content immediately becomes invisible to other users, enhancing your privacy and control over your shared information.
While the deletion process for such content is being undertaken, the content is no longer visible to other users.
[What Products do these Terms cover?](https://facebook.com/legal/meta-products), paragraph 50 · Citation strength: strong
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This public review is informational only and is not legal advice. Verbaterm shows only findings tied to the cited source snapshot above.