Duolingo
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- The documents do not say whether your data is sold or shared.
- The documents do not say who can read your content.
You give a license, auto-renew with no refunds, they can ban you anytime.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
These terms do not say what personal data they collect; they only talk about account info and content you submit.
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Terms of service
“In connection with registering for and using the Service, you agree (i) to provide accurate, current and complete information about you and/or your organization as requested by Duolingo;”
Training
They take a forever license to your posts and own your lesson activity; ads may be targeted to your content.
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Terms of service
“you hereby grant to Duolingo a full-paid, , , , worldwide, nonexclusive, transferable, and license to use, reproduce, copy, adapt, modify, merge, distribute, publicly display, and create derivative works from the Content”
Sharing
Other users can see content you submit; ads may be placed by Duolingo and third-party partners.
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Terms of service
“You understand that other users will have access to the Content and that neither they or Duolingo have any obligation to you or anyone else to maintain the confidentiality of the Content.”
Kept
The terms do not say how long they keep your data after you leave.
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Terms of service
“You acknowledge that this license cannot be terminated by you once your Content is submitted to the Service.”
Fine print
Auto-renew, no refunds, they can shut you off anytime, you them.
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Terms of service
“Duolingo may terminate your access and use of the Service immediately at any time, for any reason, and at such time you will have no further right to use the Service.”
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.
Cancel auto-renewing subscription
Log in to your Duolingo account and follow instructions to terminate or change your subscription
Close your account
Follow the instructions available through the Service
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Once you post reviews, photos, translations, or other materials, they can use them forever, even after you leave, and can let others use them too.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“you hereby grant to Duolingo a full-paid, , , , worldwide, nonexclusive, transferable, and license to use, reproduce, copy, adapt, modify, merge, distribute, publicly display, and create derivative works from the Content”
For example, a flashcard or review you wrote could be reused or shown elsewhere even if you delete your account.
Your lesson answers and translations belong to Duolingo, not you.
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Terms of service
“all data, information, and materials generated from your access and use of the educational activities made available on or through the Service, including translated content generated by you (“Activity Materials”), shall be exclusively owned by Duolingo”
For example, a sentence you typed in a lesson is theirs to keep and reuse.
They can shut your account with no warning and no stated reason.
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Terms of service
“Duolingo may terminate your access and use of the Service immediately at any time, for any reason, and at such time you will have no further right to use the Service.”
For example, you could lose Super Duolingo access overnight without an email first.
If you pay and then cancel, you usually do not get money back for unused time or gems.
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Terms of service
“All payments are nonrefundable and there are no refunds or credits for Virtual Items or partially used membership periods, unless otherwise required by the law in your .”
For example, canceling Super Duolingo mid-month typically means you keep access until the period ends but get no refund.
If someone sues them because of how you used the app, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree to and Duolingo and its directors, officers, employees, contractors, agents, suppliers, licensors, successors and assigns, from and against any and all losses, claims, causes of action, obligations, liabilities and damages whatsoever, including attorneys' fees”
For example, if a translation you posted caused a lawsuit, they could ask you to cover their lawyers.
Ads can be chosen based on what is on the service and other information, not only a generic banner.
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Terms of service
“The Service may include advertisements, which may be targeted to the Content or information on the Service, or other information.”
For example, ads might relate to languages you study or content you posted.
Paid plans keep charging until you cancel in your Duolingo account.
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Terms of service
“After your initial subscription period, and again after any subsequent subscription period, your subscription will automatically renew for an additional equivalent period.”
For example, Super Duolingo will bill again next month unless you turn auto-renew off in the app.
They will post term changes for a week; using the service after that can bind you to the new rules.
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Terms of service
“If we do this, we will post a notice that we have made changes to these Terms and Conditions on the Websites for at least 7 days after the changes are posted”
For example, a new license or billing rule can apply if you open the app after the 7-day post.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
- perpetual
- Lasting forever, with no end date. For example, a perpetual licence means the company can keep using your video years after you leave.
- 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.
- worldwide license
- You let the company use your content anywhere on earth, usually for free and for as long as it likes. For example, a video you post can be shown in ads in any country without asking you again.
- in-app purchase
- Something you buy inside the app, like coins, extra features or a subscription, often through the app store. For example, buying 500 gems in a game is an in-app purchase, and refunds usually go through Apple or Google.
- 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.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- service providers
- Outside companies that handle your data on the app's instructions, such as a cloud host or an email sender. For example, the company that stores the app's files in the cloud sees your data but only does what the app tells it.
- auto-renewal
- Your subscription keeps charging you at the end of each period until you cancel it. For example, a free trial turns into a paid monthly plan unless you cancel before it ends.
How we got here · grade F · score 21/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 9 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
Not stated in the documents.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
Not stated in the documents.
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?
Not stated in the documents.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Ads may be targeted to content and other information, and third-party providers and partners may place those ads.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
Not stated in the documents.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You grant a perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable license to submitted Content, and they exclusively own Activity Materials from lessons.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
Not stated in the documents.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
Not stated in the documents.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
Not stated in the documents.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
Not stated in the documents.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The terms are dated September 8th, 2025 and they post changes for at least 7 days; using the service after that can bind you. They are not a detailed privacy policy.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may end your access immediately at any time for any reason. You can close your account through the service, but export is not described.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is with liability capped at what you paid in 12 months, and you must indemnify Duolingo for claims related to your use.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Subscriptions auto-renew until you cancel in your account, and payments are nonrefundable except where law requires.
The terms are 4,723 words at a college graduate level.
