Microsoft Teams · Covers Microsoft, Bing, Microsoft 365 Personal / Family, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Family Safety, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Outlook.com, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Network
This is Microsoft's policy, which also covers Bing, Microsoft 365 Personal / Family, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Family Safety, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Outlook.com, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Network.
Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
Microsoft's services agreement highlights several concerns for users, particularly regarding account management and data. If you don't sign in for at least two years (or one year for Outlook/OneDrive), your account may be closed and associated data lost (risk_flags-1, risk_flags-2). Violating terms can lead to immediate account closure and forfeiture of content or balances (risk_flags-3). Users of work/school emails may find their domain owner has access and control over their account and data (risk_flags-4). Moreover, Microsoft retains a broad license to use Your Content and may utilize publicly shared content for promotional purposes (data_use-1, data_use-2). Microsoft is not liable for service disruptions or content loss during outages (risk_flags-5).
88% confidence
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Risk Flags
Critical issues that weaken user rights, expose them to hard-to-reverse harm, or limit dispute resolution avenues.
high95% confidence
Automatic Account Closure for Inactivity
Your Microsoft account will be closed if you do not sign in for at least two years, or one year for Outlook.com and OneDrive.
Why it matters: Microsoft may close your account, and you may lose access to associated services or content, if you do not sign in within specified periods (two years for Microsoft account, one year for Outlook.com and OneDrive).
asonably suspect that your Microsoft account is at risk of being used by a third party fraudulently (for example, as a result of an account compromise), Microsoft may suspend your account until you can reclaim ownership.
Using the Services & Support, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
high95% confidence
Loss of Content and Data Upon Account Closure
If your Microsoft account is closed, your right to use the Microsoft account to access the Services stops immediately, and Your Content or Data associated with your Microsoft account will be deleted or disassociated from you.
Why it matters: Upon account closure, you will immediately lose access to services, and your data or content associated with that account will be deleted or disassociated, unless legally required otherwise. You may also lose access to acquired products.
If your Microsoft account is closed (whether by you or us), a few things happen. First, your right to use the Microsoft account to access the Services stops immediately. Second, we’ll delete Data or Your Content associated with your Microsoft account or will otherwise disassociate it from you and your Microsoft account (unless we are required by law to keep it, return it, or transfer it to you or a third party identified by you). You should have a regular backup plan as Microsoft won’t be able to retrieve Your Content or Data once your account is closed.
* iv. **Closing Your Account.**, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
Account Action and Content Forfeiture for Violations
If you violate these terms or policies, Microsoft may take action against your account, which could include limiting access, stopping services, closing your account immediately, or blocking communications.
Why it matters: Violating terms may lead to account limitations, service termination, immediate account closure, and forfeiture of content licenses, associated content, memberships, and account balances.
If you violate these terms or [Policies](https://aka.ms/trustandsafety) (https://aka.ms/trustandsafety), we may take action against your account. This could include limiting access to certain features or Services, stopping providing Services, closing your Microsoft account immediately or blocking delivery of a communication (like email, file sharing or instant message) to or from the Services. Closure of your access to a Service or your account may result in forfeiture of content licenses, associated content, memberships, and Microsoft account balances associated with the account.
* iv. **Closing Your Account.**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
high95% confidence
Owner of Work or School Email Domain Can Control Your Account and Data
If you sign into Microsoft services with a work or school email, the domain owner may be notified of your account, control and administer it, and access your data, including communications and files.
Why it matters: Using a work or school email means your employer or school has direct access and control over your Microsoft account and data, including your communications.
You can sign into certain Microsoft services with a work or school email address. If you do, you agree that the owner of the domain associated with your email address may be notified of the existence of your Microsoft account and its associated subscriptions, control and administer your account, and access and process your Data, including the contents of your communications and files, and that Microsoft may notify the owner of the domain if the account or Data is compromised.
* iv. **Closing Your Account.**, paragraph 3 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Microsoft Not Liable for Service Disruptions or Data Loss
Microsoft is not liable for any disruption or loss you may suffer due to occasional online service disruptions and outages.
Why it matters: You may lose access to or be unable to retrieve Your Content or Data stored on the Services if an outage occurs, and Microsoft is not responsible for any resulting loss.
We strive to keep the Services up and running; however, all online services suffer occasional disruptions and outages, and Microsoft is not liable for any disruption or loss you may suffer as a result. In the event of an outage, you may not be able to retrieve Your Content or Data that you’ve stored. We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services.
Service Availability, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use & Sharing
How the company collects, uses, and shares your personal information and content.
high90% confidence
Broad License to Use Your Content
You grant Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content to provide and improve services, and protect you and the services.
Why it matters: Microsoft has a broad license to use your content, including making copies, retaining, transmitting, reformatting, displaying, and distributing it, essentially allowing them significant control over your content for service provision and improvement.
To the extent necessary to provide the Services to you and others, to protect you and the Services, and to improve Microsoft products and services, you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content, for example, to make copies of, retain, transmit, reformat, display, and distribute via communication tools Your Content on the Services.
Your Content, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Content Published Broadly Online May Be Used in Promotions
If Your Content is published in areas of the Service where it is available broadly online without restrictions, it may appear in demonstrations or materials promoting the Service.
Why it matters: Content that you share publicly may be used by Microsoft in promotional materials for the Service without your explicit consent or compensation.
If you publish Your Content in areas of the Service where it is available broadly online without restrictions, Your Content may appear in demonstrations or materials that promote the Service.
Your Content, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Review of Content for Violations
Microsoft reserves the right to use automated systems and humans to review content to identify suspected violations, such as spam, viruses, fraud, phishing, malware, jailbreaking, or other illegal or harmful content or conduct.
Why it matters: Your content can be reviewed by Microsoft, both automatically and manually, to ensure compliance with the Code of Conduct and other policies.
Where applicable, we may use automated systems and humans to review content to identify suspected spam, viruses, fraud, phishing, malware, jailbreaking, or other illegal or harmful content or conduct.
* iv. **Closing Your Account.**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation & Renewal
Terms governing account termination, service cancellation, and subscription renewals.
low90% confidence
Loss of Acquired Products Upon Account Closure
If your Microsoft account is closed, you may lose access to products you’ve acquired.
Why it matters: You might lose access to digital products or services you've paid for if your account is closed.
Third, you may lose access to products you’ve acquired.
* iv. **Closing Your Account.**, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Gotchas
Potentially overlooked clauses that could be unfavorable, surprising, or limit user control.
Not clearly stated: The document does not clearly state if a grace period or notice is provided before the automatic account closure for inactivity.
It is not clearly stated whether any fees are charged for account closure.
Protections
Commitments and features that benefit users, enhance their rights, or provide consumer-friendly options.
Protection95% confidence
Option to Temporarily Suspend Account Closure
When you ask to close your Microsoft account, you can elect to put it in a suspended state for 30 or 60 days.
Why it helps: This allows you time to reconsider or retrieve data before permanent closure, with the option to reactivate the account by logging in during the suspension period.
When you ask us to close your Microsoft account, you can choose to put it in a suspended state for either 30 or 60 days just in case you change your mind. After that 30- or 60-day period, your Microsoft account will be closed. Please see section 4.a.iv.2 below for an explanation as to what happens when your Microsoft account is closed. Logging back in during the suspension period will reactivate your Microsoft account.
* iv. **Closing Your Account.**, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Protection90% confidence
Transparency in Changes to Terms
Microsoft will inform you when changes are made to these Terms.
Why it helps: Users are notified about changes to the terms, allowing them to review the updates and decide whether to continue using the services or close their account.
We may change these Terms at any time, and we’ll tell you when we do. Using the Services after the changes become effective means you agree to the new terms. If you don’t agree to the new terms, you must stop using the Services, close your Microsoft account and, if you are a parent or guardian, help your minor child close his or her Microsoft account.
Updates to the Services or Software, and Changes to These Terms, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
Your Content Remains Yours
Microsoft does not claim ownership of Your Content.
Why it helps: This commitment ensures that users retain intellectual property rights over the content they create, store, or share using the services.
We don’t claim ownership of Your Content. Your Content remains yours and you are responsible for it.
Your Content, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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