What changedMaterial language shifts detected around personal data, privacy, share your, artificial intelligence. 287 new line(s), 158 removed line(s).
Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
Square's policies indicate that while robust security measures are in place, the absolute security of user data cannot be guaranteed against theft or hacking. User information may be retained post-account deactivation due to legal obligations, such as legal requests or search warrants (risk_flags-2). For compliance, fraud prevention, and risk assessment, sensitive identity and financial information may be shared with third-party vendors (risk_flags-3). Additionally, Square may access and upload phone contacts for verification and fraud prevention, and engagement data from their Trust Center can be used to identify and prioritize sales opportunities (data_use-5).
90% confidence
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Risk Flags
2 findings
Critical issues that may result in significant harm to the user. These typically involve direct financial loss, major privacy violations, or limitations on legal recourse.
high90% confidence
Legal Requirement to Retain Information Post-Deactivation
Square states that in certain cases, they are obliged to keep user information for legal reasons, which may include after an account has been deactivated, such as in response to a legal request like a preservation order or search warrant.
Why it matters: Even if you deactivate your account, your information may be retained by Square if legally required, for instance, due to a legal request such as a preservation order or search warrant.
To respond to a legal request or to comply with applicable law. We must keep your information where we have a legal obligation to do so, for example, if we receive a valid legal request, such as a preservation order or search warrant, related to your account, we preserve your information after you delete your account.
HOW LONG WE RETAIN YOUR INFORMATION, paragraph 7 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
Information Sharing for Compliance, Fraud Prevention, and Risk Assessment
Square collects data from companies to help verify identity, conduct credit checks, prevent fraud, or assess risk, and states that this data may be shared with credit reporting agencies, wireless carriers, and other identity verification vendors.
Why it matters: Your identity and financial data may be shared with external vendors, including credit reporting agencies and wireless carriers, for identity verification, credit checks, fraud prevention, and risk assessment purposes.
We share your Identification Information with identity verification vendors, including credit reporting agencies, wireless carriers, and others, to verify information that we collect. Our vendors cross-check the identity and financial data you give us. Your information is also screened against relevant sanctions watchlists. To determine whether the Services are available in your country and to create your account with us and to meet our anti-money laundering ("AML"), know your customer ("KYC"), background checking (see further below) and other compliance requirements.
Why we process Square Account Data, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use
4 findings
Practices related to the collection, processing, and sharing of user data. This section highlights how your information is used, with whom it's shared, and for what purposes.
medium90% confidence
Collection of Sensitive Identity Information for Verification
Square may collect sensitive identity information such as passport number, driver's license number, Social Security number, Taxpayer Identification number, or other government-issued identification numbers, including photo identification with a facial scan and biometrics, for verification purposes.
Why it matters: You may be required to provide highly sensitive personal data, including government-issued identification numbers, facial scans, and biometrics, for identity verification.
Where additional verification is required and where you choose to share such information, photo identification, such as your passport or driver’s license in combination with a photograph facial scan and biometrics extracted from such image or other documents proving your identity or place of residence, including financial account statements, phone or utility bills.
Sharing of Data with Referral Partners for Compensation
Square works with partners who may receive compensation for identifying prospective Sellers, and if you were referred by such a partner, Square may share limited commercial information about your use of Square, such as account activation date and transaction volume, to report referral fees.
Why it matters: If a referral partner introduced you to Square, Square may share your commercial data (e.g., account activation date, transaction volume) with that partner to calculate their referral compensation.
We work with partners who may receive compensation for helping us to identify prospective Sellers interested in Square. If you were referred to Square by one of our referral partners, we may share limited commercial information related to your use of Square, such as the date you activated your account and the volume of transactions you process through Square, to provide reporting on the referral fees earned by the partner that referred you.
WHEN AND WITH WHOM WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION, paragraph 20 · Citation strength: strong
medium88% confidence
Information Sharing with Business Units and Affiliates
Square may share user information with other business units (like Cash App) and affiliates (including Afterpay/Clearpay and TIDAL), as well as wholly-owned subsidiaries of Block, Inc., to understand engagement, improve services, tailor preferences, and maintain a trusted environment.
Why it matters: Your information may be shared across Square's various business units, affiliates, and subsidiaries (e.g., Cash App, Afterpay/Clearpay, TIDAL) to enhance services and tailor offerings.
With other business units, such as Cash App, and affiliates, including Afterpay/Clearpay and TIDAL and between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Block, Inc., such as Square Financial Services, Inc. For example, we may share your information internally to understand how you engage with our company products to help make our Services better for you and for everyone, to help us build Services tailored to your preferences, and to help protect our services and maintain a trusted environment.
WHEN AND WITH WHOM WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION, paragraph 21 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Use of Trust Center Engagement Data for Sales Opportunities
Square collects name, job title, email, company name, and engagement data from Trust Center visits, which it uses to identify and prioritize sales opportunities and follow up with relevant sales outreach.
Why it matters: Information you provide and your activity in the Trust Center (e.g., compliance documents viewed) will be used by Square to identify you as a sales lead and for sales outreach.
When you visit our Trust Center and submit an NDA confirmation form to access compliance documentation, we collect your name, job title, email address, and company name. We also collect information about your engagement with the Trust Center, including which documents you view and how you interact with the portal. We use Trust Center engagement data to identify and prioritize sales opportunities. For example, we may use information about which compliance documents you've viewed to understand your interest in Square's security and compliance posture and to follow up with relevant sales outreach. Legitimate Interest
Terms related to account termination, service cancellation, and subscription renewals. This includes policies on data retention post-cancellation and any associated fees or procedures.
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Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
4 findings
Potentially overlooked clauses that could lead to unexpected outcomes or obligations for the user. These often involve default settings, automatic processes, or broad permissions.
medium90% confidence
Responsibility for Obtaining Customer Data Permissions
Square states that it is your responsibility to obtain any necessary permission for them to use your customers' data in the manner outlined in their Privacy Notice, to enable them to provide requested services.
Why it matters: You are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for Square to use your customers' data as described in their Privacy Notice to provide you with services.
It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary permission for us to use Your Customers' Data in the manner envisaged in this Privacy Notice so that we can provide you with the Services requested by you.
Other Information You or Your Customers Provide, paragraph 3 · Citation strength: strong
medium95% confidence
No Response to Do Not Track Signals
Square's websites are not designed to respond to Do Not Track ("DNT") signals or similar mechanisms from browsers.
Why it matters: Square's websites do not honor "Do Not Track" signals, meaning your online activities may still be tracked even if you enable DNT in your browser.
Certain web browsers allow you to instruct your browser to respond to Do Not Track ("DNT") signals to website you visit, informing those sites that you do not want your online activities to be tracked. At this time, our websites are not designed to respond to DNT signals or similar mechanisms from browsers.
WHEN AND WITH WHOM WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION, paragraph 18 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Sharing of Limited Personal Information with Potential Partners
Square may share minimal personal information, such as your business name, with potential partners who could offer complementary or related services. They may also share personal information if they believe it's necessary to protect themselves, users, or the public from harm, fraud, or illegal activities.
Why it matters: Your business name, and potentially other personal information, may be shared with partners for complementary services or if Square deems it necessary to prevent harm or illegal activities.
Partners We may share minimal personal information (such as your business name) with potential partners who may be able to provide a complementary or related service for your business. We may also share personal information with partners if we believe the disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect us, users of our Services or the public from harm, fraud, or potentially prohibited or illegal activities.
WHEN AND WITH WHOM WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION, paragraph 19 · Citation strength: strong
medium88% confidence
Mandatory Geolocation Data for Certain Services
Square may request access to precise geolocation information, and if you do not consent to its collection, certain services will not function properly.
Why it matters: You must consent to the collection of precise geolocation data for some services to function. Refusing this consent will prevent you from using those specific services.
In order to provide certain Services, we may request access to location information, including precise geolocation information collected from your device. If you do not consent to the collection of this information, certain Services will not function properly and you will not be able to use those Services. You can stop our collection of location information at any time by changing the preferences on your mobile device. If you do so, some of our mobile applications will no longer function. You also may stop our collection of location information via mobile application by following the standard uninstall process to remove all Square mobile applications from your device.
Provisions that safeguard user rights, privacy, and security. These are commitments made by the service provider to protect user interests.
Protection95% confidence
Commitment to Not Knowingly Collect, Share, or Sell Children's Information
Square states that its services are not directed at children under 18 and that they do not knowingly collect, share, or sell any information from children under 18. If such information is learned to be collected, it will be promptly deleted.
Why it helps: This protects children's privacy by ensuring their data is not knowingly collected or shared, and provides a commitment to delete any inadvertently collected data.
Our Services are general audience services not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect, share, or sell any information from children under the age of 18. If we learn that any information we collect has been provided by a child under the age of 18, we will promptly delete that information.
CHILDREN'S PERSONAL INFORMATION, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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