Square
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Plain-English summary
Square cannot promise complete security for your data, as the internet is not entirely secure (risk_flags-1). For some services, you must allow Square to collect your precise location data, or you won't be able to use those services (risk_flags-2). Opting out of promotional messages may impact how you can use the services (risk_flags-3). Square collects your financial and identity information for verification and legal compliance, and shares it with vendors to verify your identity and screen against sanctions watchlists (data_use-1, data_use-2, data_use-3, data_use-4). Your business's commercial information and usage data are used for providing services, protecting systems, and improving products (data_use-5). Square combines your commercial and identity data with risk signals to prevent fraud (data_use-6) and may use your personal information with AI for personalized features (data_use-7). Background check and credit information are collected and processed for identity verification, credit checks, and fraud prevention (data_use-8, data_use-9). You are responsible for getting permission for Square to use your customers' data (data_use-10). Square shares your Usage Data for targeted advertising and tracks your online activities across websites for this purpose (data_use-11, data_use-12). Their websites do not respond to Do Not Track signals (data_use-13). You can deactivate your account by logging in or emailing Square (cancellation_renewal-1). Square retains your account data and usage data for the entire duration of your active account (gotchas-1, gotchas-2).
90% confidence
Findings that describe a potential for high-severity harm to the user.
Square cannot guarantee absolute security for your information transmitted or stored, as the internet is not a 100% secure environment.
Why it matters: Your information may not be completely safe from unauthorized access, loss, or theft. Square cannot guarantee the security of your data.
Nevertheless, the internet is not a 100% secure environment, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of the transmission or storage of your information.
Findings that describe how your data is collected, processed, and shared.
Square collects your Financial Information, such as bank account and payment card numbers, and uses it along with Identity Information for identity and account verification processes, to create your account, and to authenticate you into your account.
Why it matters: Your financial details are gathered to confirm your identity and set up your account, ensuring secure access to their services.
We use your Identification Information and your Financial Information to go through our identity or account verification process and to enable you to authenticate into your account once it is created.
Square collects your Financial Information to meet anti-money laundering ("AML"), know your customer ("KYC"), background checking, and other compliance requirements.
Why it matters: Your financial information is used to comply with legal obligations, which helps prevent illegal activities.
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.
Square shares your Identification Information with identity verification vendors, including credit reporting agencies and wireless carriers, to verify the information they collect.
Why it matters: Your identity information is shared with third-party vendors for verification purposes, which helps confirm your identity for using Square's services.
We share your Identification Information with identity verification vendors, including credit reporting agencies, wireless carriers, and others, to verify information that we collect.
Your information is screened against relevant sanctions watchlists.
Why it matters: Your data is checked against official lists to ensure compliance with regulations.
Your information is also screened against relevant sanctions watchlists.
Square collects Commercial Information from your devices and transactions to provide services, protect the integrity of its services and systems, and safeguard rights or property. It is also used for internal research, to track and analyze usage, and to improve products and services.
Why it matters: Your sales data and transaction details are used to deliver requested services, maintain system security, and continuously improve the products and services you use.
This enables us to provide services to you that you have requested including inventory, eCommerce and payments processing. * This also enables us to protect the integrity of our Services and systems, and your, our, our customers', or your customers' rights or property. * This also enables us to do internal research, measure, track, and analyze trends and usage, to improve our products and services, and, in the United States, to provide our products and services when instructed by your customers.
Square combines your Commercial Information with Identification Information and risk signals to detect and prevent fraud, investigate incidents, and protect your account.
Why it matters: By linking your sales data with identity and risk indicators, Square aims to secure your account and prevent fraudulent activities.
We combine this information with Identification Information as well as with risk signals. | This enables us to debug, fix service errors, investigate, detect, prevent, report or recover from fraud, misrepresentations, security breaches or incidents, other potentially prohibited, malicious, or illegal activities; or to otherwise help protect your account, including to dispute chargebacks on your behalf.
Square may use personal information you provide or request them to analyze, in connection with artificial intelligence technologies, to generate personalized features for your business.
Why it matters: Your data might be used with AI to create tailored features for your business, aiming to enhance your experience with their services.
We may use Personal Information you input or request us to analyse in connection with artificial intelligence technologies to generate personalised features for your business.
Square collects Background Check Information about you from vendors and processes it using anti-fraud and risk management systems to verify your identity, perform credit checks, prevent fraud, and assess risk.
Why it matters: Your background data is used to verify your identity and creditworthiness, as well as to protect against fraud and assess potential risks.
We collect Background Check Information about you from background check vendors and we process this information using our anti-fraud and risk management systems. | This helps us verify your identity, do a credit check, prevent fraud and assess risk.
Square receives and exchanges Credit, Compliance, and Fraud Information using their credit management systems and processes as required by law, for credit investigations, identity verification, fraud detection, and collection procedures.
Why it matters: Your credit, compliance, and fraud-related information is processed to meet legal obligations and ensure the integrity of financial transactions.
We receive and exchange Credit, Compliance and Fraud Information using our credit management systems and processes. | As required under applicable laws, as part of any credit investigation, credit eligibility, identity or account verification process, fraud or risk detection process, or collection procedure.
It is your responsibility to get the necessary permission for Square to use your customers' data as described in the Privacy Notice, so they can provide you with the services you requested.
Why it matters: You are responsible for ensuring that you have permission for Square to process your customers' data.
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.
Square has 'sold or shared' Usage Data for interest-based advertising purposes over the last 12 months.
Why it matters: Your usage data may be shared with third parties for targeted advertising that is tailored to your interests.
While we do not sell personal information as that term is commonly understood, we have, “sold or shared” over the last 12 months Usage Data for the purpose of interest-based advertising (or “targeted advertising”) as described below.
Square and its advertising partners collect information about your activities on their website and third-party websites to advertise to you and tailor products and services to your interests. This involves tracking your online activities over time using automated technologies like third-party cookies, web server logs, and web beacons.
Why it matters: Your online activities are tracked across various websites to deliver personalized advertisements, which means you'll see ads based on your browsing habits.
We use this information to advertise to you and to tailor our products and services to your interests. You may see certain ads on other websites because we use third-party services to advertise our services to you. We use these services to target our ads to you and others based on your demographics, interests, and context. These third party ad services track your online activities over time and across multiple websites by collecting your information through automated technologies, including third-party cookies, web server logs, and web beacons.
Square's websites are not designed to respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals or similar mechanisms from browsers.
Why it matters: Even if you enable DNT in your browser, Square's websites will not automatically stop tracking your online activities.
At this time, our websites are not designed to respond to DNT signals or similar mechanisms from browsers.
Findings that describe how users can cancel or renew their accounts or services.
You can deactivate your account by logging into your Square account or by emailing Square using the provided contact details.
Why it matters: You have two ways to deactivate your account: directly through your account settings or by sending an email.
If you wish to deactivate your account, you can do so by logging into your Square account or by emailing us using the contact details [provided below](https://squareup.com/us/en/legal/general/privacy#contact).
Findings that describe unintuitive, often frustrating, or obscure policy elements that could disadvantage users.
Square requires Square Account Data to deliver its Services and will keep it for the duration your Square account exists to maintain your account.
Why it matters: Your account information will be kept for as long as your account is active, as it is necessary for providing the services.
As set out in this Privacy Notice, we require Square Account Data to deliver our Services. We need to keep it for the duration your Square account exists so that we can maintain your account.
Square will keep your Usage Data for the entire lifetime of your account.
Why it matters: All your usage data will be stored throughout the active period of your account and beyond, enabling Square to maintain historical records.
Similarly, we will also keep your Usage Data for the lifetime of your account.
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