BIGO Live
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- Staff may review your content; the policy does not describe an opt-out.
Bigo collects lots of data, takes a forever license on your streams, uses ads IDs.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account info, streams, contacts, GPS, device IDs, browsing history, ad IDs, and sometimes face data.
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Privacy policy
“Device identifiers, such as your operating system, browser type, brand, model and serial number of your mobile device, Internet Protocol (IP) address, mobile carrier, screen resolution, language setting, IMEI number, IMSI number, and media access control address;”
Training
They run the app, personalize content, review posts, and use ad IDs so ads can match your interests.
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Privacy policy
“Mobile advertising identifiers, which are used by mobile operating systems and made available to advertising providers to gather metrics on mobile apps (Apple’s IDFA or Google’s AAID) to help us and advertisers provide ads that may be more relevant to your interests;”
Sharing
Public posts can be seen by anyone; they also share with affiliates, service providers, and if you link other apps.
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Privacy policy
“Please note that if your profile is public, your content will be visible to anyone on the Platform and may also be accessed or shared by your friends and followers as well as third parties such as search engines, content aggregators and news sites.”
Kept
They keep data while you have an account and may keep some after delete for law, safety, or backups.
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Privacy policy
“We will retain your Personal Information and other information for as long as you maintain your Bigo Live account.”
Controls
You can edit your profile, hide some info, limit ad tracking, and delete your account in Settings or by email.
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Privacy policy
“You can make changes to your information, including accessing your information, correcting or updating your information or deleting your information by editing your profile in the App.”
Fine print
They take a forever license on your uploads, diamonds are not refundable.
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Terms of service
“you grant to BIGO LIVE and its sub-licensees the permission, free, permanent, , non-exclusive and fully rights and license, without any territorial or time limitations”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Delete your account
Me > Settings > Account Management > Delete Account, or email feedback@bigo.tv
Limit advertising tracking
Mobile device privacy settings; they also point to networkadvertising.org/mobile-choice and youradchoices.com/appchoices
Turn off GPS, mic, camera, or hide location
Phone settings and in-app Privacy setting
Request access or
Help or Feedback in the app, or email feedback@bigo.tv
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
They can use, change, and share what you stream or upload forever, even with others, without paying you.
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Terms of service
“you grant to BIGO LIVE and its sub-licensees the permission, free, permanent, , non-exclusive and fully rights and license, without any territorial or time limitations and without requiring any approvals and/or compensations, to use, copy, modify, adapt, publish, translate, edit, dispose, create derivate works of, distribute, perform and publicly display such content”
For example, a clip of your live stream could be reused or shown elsewhere without asking you again.
Money spent on virtual diamonds and gifts is not refunded.
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Terms of service
“Except as otherwise set out in this Agreement, all sales of Diamonds and Gifts are final, and we do not offer refunds for any purchased Diamonds and Gifts.”
For example, if you buy diamonds by mistake, they say you cannot get that money back.
They can shut your account without warning if they decide to.
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Terms of service
“To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, BIGO LIVE reserves the right, without notice and in our sole discretion, to terminate your license to use the Services”
For example, you could lose access and not get a heads-up first.
If you turn on Discover Friends, they can read your phone contacts.
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Privacy policy
“Your social network contacts with your permission, when you activate the “Discover Friends” function and allow us to access your contacts;”
For example, your address book names and numbers could be uploaded to find friends.
People or systems can look at what you post to check the rules.
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Privacy policy
“to review pictures, images and contents posted or generated on Bigo Services to ensure that we comply with any applicable content regulations in any relevant ;”
For example, a photo or chat you upload may be reviewed for policy violations.
They say face data for effects is not used for ads and is not shared with others.
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Privacy policy
“we will not use your facial data for marketing or advertising, nor will we share such data with any third party.”
For example, a face filter should not be sold to an advertiser as your face ID.
For California law they say they have not sold personal information.
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Privacy policy
“No sale of personal information. In the twelve months prior to the effective date of this Disclosure, Bigo has not sold any personal information of you, as those terms are defined under the .”
For example, they claim they did not sell California users’ data as a “sale” under .
If they change the rules, keeping using the app counts as you agreeing.
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Privacy policy
“By continuing to access or use the Services after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy.”
For example, a new sharing rule could apply even if you never opened an email about it.
They do not promise the app will work well or be safe, and they limit what they owe you.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“You acknowledge and agree that the Services is provided by BIGO LIVE on an “as is” basis. BIGO LIVE make no representations or of any kind express or implied”
For example, if a stream fails or data is lost, they say the service is “as is.”
The service is meant for people 18 and older, based on what you tell them.
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Privacy policy
“We do not knowingly collect or maintain personal information from persons under 18 years-of-age.”
For example, a 16-year-old who signs up anyway is not supposed to have an account.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- device identifiers
- Codes that single out your phone or computer, used to recognise you across apps and sites. For example, the advertising ID on your phone lets two unrelated apps know they are seeing the same person.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- retention
- How long a company keeps your data before deleting it. For example, a policy might keep your messages for 30 days after you delete them, or for as long as it likes.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- irrevocable
- Cannot be taken back or cancelled once given, even if you change your mind or delete your account. For example, an irrevocable licence to your photos means you cannot withdraw it later.
- sublicensable
- The company can pass its rights over your content on to other companies without asking you. For example, an app can let an advertiser or a partner reuse your video under the licence you gave.
- governing law
- Which country's or state's laws are used to settle any dispute, no matter where you live. For example, a user in Ohio may find the terms are judged under California law.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- CCPA
- California's privacy law, which gives residents the right to see, delete and stop the sale of their data. For example, a Californian can ask the app to stop selling their data and it must comply.
- as is
- You get the service in whatever state it is in, with no promise that it works or will keep working. For example, if the app deletes your photos by mistake, it is not promising to fix that or pay you back.
- warranty
- A promise that a product will work as described; most apps say they make no such promise at all. For example, if a paid feature never works on your phone, a no-warranty clause says that is your problem.
How we got here · grade F · score 32/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 1 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect more than needed to stream, including contacts, GPS, browsing history, IMEI/IMSI, and advertising IDs.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
They collect facial data for effects and optional real-person checks; effect data is processed offline and they say they will not share it. Sounds can be uploaded as content.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
Not stated in the documents.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They review pictures, images, and content you post to follow content rules. No opt-out of that review is described.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They collect mobile advertising IDs and use cookies with vendors so ads can be more relevant to you.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share with affiliates and service providers, including for advertising. California text says they have not sold personal information under CCPA.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Uploading public content gives them a free, permanent, irrevocable, fully sublicensable license with no time or place limits.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can delete in the app, but they keep data while the account exists and may keep some after for legal, tax, safety, backups, and research.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They tailor content and ads from your activity and link you across devices. No AI memory controls are described.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They describe encryption, firewalls, and limiting employee access, but no independent audit is named.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
The service is for 18 and older. They say they do not knowingly collect from under-18s, with no extra age check described.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Policies are dated. They may try to notify major changes, but continued use means you accept the new rules.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can end your access without notice in their sole discretion. Deleting your account means you cannot get the content back.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is “as is” with no warranties, and they limit responsibility for quality, accuracy, and interruptions.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Virtual diamonds and gifts are sold as final with no refunds. Auto-renew of a subscription is not clearly described.
The privacy policy is 5,387 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 39.5); the terms are 3,441 words at a college level.
