Foursquare
- 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.
- The policy describes staff access for safety and legal checks.
They collect location and ad IDs, may sell or share it unless you opt out, and take a lasting license on what you post.
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Collected
Location history, account details, advertising IDs, and cookies, including targeting cookies.
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Privacy policy
“We know that location data is some of the most sensitive data out there. That’s why people must be in control of what personal data they share and how it is used.”
Training
They use location and ads data, including interest-based ads, unless you opt out.
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Privacy policy
“These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites.”
Sharing
They may sell or share your data, including with ad partners, unless you opt out.
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Privacy policy
“If you would like to opt out of the sale/sharing of your personal data or would like to limit the user of your sensitive personal data, you can submit your request on Foursquare’s Opt-Out Page.”
Kept
You can delete your account in the app; the policy does not say how long data stays after that.
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Privacy policy
“Delete your personal dataCity GuideLog into Foursquare Settings > “Delete My Account”.SwarmLog into Foursquare Settings > “Delete My Account”.”
Controls
You can view history, download data, delete your account, and opt out of sale, sharing, and ads.
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Privacy policy
“You may have the right to (1) access/view your personal data, (2) copy/transfer your personal data, (3) correct/update your personal data, and (4) delete your personal data.”
Fine print
They can close your account without notice, take a lasting license on posts, and fees are non-refundable.
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Terms of service
“Foursquare may terminate or suspend your access to all or any part of the Consumer Services at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with the Consumer Services.”
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.
Opt out of sale, sharing, or sensitive location use
Foursquare’s Opt-Out Page (you must provide a Mobile Advertising Identifier)
Delete your account
City Guide or Swarm: Foursquare Settings > Delete My Account (or Privacy Portal if you cannot log in)
Turn off interest-based ads
DAA AdChoices in the browser (US) or DAA AppChoices on iOS, Android, or Amazon
Download a copy of your data
City Guide: Settings > Request Copy of My Data; Swarm: Settings > Privacy Settings > Initiate Data Download Request
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 get a lasting right to use, copy, change, and pass on what you post, even after you leave.
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Terms of service
“By submitting User Submissions through the Consumer Services, you hereby grant Foursquare a , , worldwide, non-exclusive, , fully paid, and transferable license”
For example, a photo or shout you posted could still be used in their ads or given to others after you delete the app.
They can shut your account for any reason with no warning, and your info there can be wiped.
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Terms of service
“Foursquare may terminate or suspend your access to all or any part of the Consumer Services at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with the Consumer Services.”
For example, you could lose check-in history and photos overnight with no email first.
If your use of the app leads to a legal fight, you may have to pay their legal costs.
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Terms of service
“You shall , and Foursquare, its subsidiaries, affiliates and each of its and its subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, contractors, directors, suppliers and representatives from all losses, costs, actions, claims, damages, expenses (including legal costs) or liabilities”
For example, if someone sues them over a photo you uploaded, you could be asked to cover their lawyers.
Other companies can track you across sites and use that to show ads based on your interests.
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Privacy policy
“These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites.”
For example, visiting Foursquare in a browser could lead to related ads on other websites.
They treat some uses as a sale or sharing of your data, but you can ask them to stop.
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Privacy policy
“If you would like to opt out of the sale/sharing of your personal data or would like to limit the user of your sensitive personal data, you can submit your request on Foursquare’s Opt-Out Page.”
For example, you can send your phone’s advertising ID on their Opt-Out Page so they stop selling that location data.
They do not promise the app will work, be safe, or be accurate, and they cap what they pay if things go wrong.
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Terms of service
“THE CONSUMER SERVICES AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS”, “AS AVAILABLE” AND ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED”
For example, if a bug wipes your history, they say they owe you little or nothing beyond a small cap.
If you pay them, you generally cannot get that money back.
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Terms of service
“Any fees paid hereunder are non-refundable.”
For example, if you buy a paid feature and stop using it the next day, they still keep the payment.
You have to say you are 18 or older; they do not describe extra age checks.
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Terms of service
“You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account to use the Consumer Services.”
For example, a 16-year-old could still create an account by ticking that they are 18.
If they change the rules, keeping using the app can count as you agreeing.
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Terms of service
“Your continued use of the Consumer Services will constitute acceptance of any changes.”
For example, if they add new sharing of location data, using Swarm after a notice can bind you to it.
If you limit sensitive data, they say they will not sell or share your location.
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Privacy policy
“If you choose to limit the use of your sensitive personal data, your location data will not be sold or shared.”
For example, after that request, they should not pass your check-ins to ad buyers.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- precise geolocation
- Your exact position, usually from GPS, often accurate to within a few metres. For example, an app can tell not just your city but which building you are in right now.
- sensitive personal information
- Data that could hurt you if exposed, like health, religion, sexuality, race, exact location or bank details. For example, telling a chatbot about a medical condition creates sensitive data that some laws protect more strictly.
- 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.
- cookies
- Small files a website saves on your device so it can recognise you and remember what you did. For example, a cookie keeps you logged in and can also tell an ad company which sites you visited.
- opt out
- Something is on by default and stays on until you find the setting and turn it off. For example, your chats may be used for training unless you go into settings and switch it off.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- 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.
How we got here · grade F · score 27/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 6 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect location, account info, advertising IDs, and cookies, including targeting cookies used to profile you. Precise location is treated as sensitive and is more than needed for a simple check-in.
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?
They say they may read and disclose information for law, rule-breaking, fraud, support, or safety. They do not describe routine sampling of chats.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Advertising partners can set targeting cookies and build interest profiles. You can opt out of interest-based ads through DAA tools.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They offer an opt-out of sale or sharing of personal data and of targeted ads, including via their Opt-Out Page and GPC signals.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership, but you give them a perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable license to fully use what you submit.
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?
You must be at least 18 to create an account. They do not describe extra age checks.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The terms are dated. They may post or email notice, but continued use counts as accepting changes.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can close or suspend you at any time, with or without notice, and that may destroy information tied to the service.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The app is as-is, their payout is capped at $100 in many cases, and you must cover their legal costs if your use causes claims.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Not stated in the documents.
The privacy policy is 2,247 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 40); the terms are 5,641 words at a college graduate level.
