OpenStreetMap
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- The policy rules out using your data for targeted ads.
- They say they do not sell or share your data.
- The policy describes staff access for safety and legal checks.
Map edits and optional GPS traces are public and kept; email stays private; UK courts and a £1000 cap apply.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account and email, public map edits, optional GPS traces, home location, and visit logs.
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Privacy policy
“Accessing any of the services via a browser or via applications that utilize the provided APIs produces records of that use, for example in webserver log files.”
Training
Edits go on the public map; logs help run the site, research, and improve the map.
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Privacy policy
“These records are used or can be used in the following ways: in support of the operation of the services from a technical, security and planning point of view.”
Sharing
Everyone can see your map edits; email is for admins only, not other users.
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Privacy policy
“The registered email address for an OSM user account, will never intentionally be published on the internet anywhere, shared with third party organisations, or revealed directly to other logged in users.”
Kept
If you mapped, they keep your edits under a renamed account and keep your email privately.
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Privacy policy
“If you have contributed your account will be renamed to user_USERID and contributions and changeset comments will be retained with this name, diary entries and your user page will be removed.”
Controls
You can turn off Gravatar and home location, and you can ask them to remove your account.
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Privacy policy
“You can request your account to be removed and we will honor such requests as far as possible.”
Fine print
As-is service, £1000 cap, London courts, and new terms apply if you keep using the site.
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Terms of service
“In no event shall our exceed one thousand British pounds (GBP 1000.00) in aggregate.”
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.
Request account removal
Contact OSMF (privacy policy Contact: legal-questions@osmfoundation.org)
Turn off Gravatar in account settings
Account settings on openstreetmap.org
Leave home location unset
Account settings page
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Your map changes are public and tied to your username so anyone can see what you changed.
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Privacy policy
“In general all of this information is also made available to everyone via the website, including links to allow everyone to easily cross-reference which user has made which edit.”
For example, someone can look up your username and see every street you drew.
Deleting your account does not take your map work off the internet.
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Privacy policy
“If you have contributed your account will be renamed to user_USERID and contributions and changeset comments will be retained with this name, diary entries and your user page will be removed.”
For example, after you leave, a building you added still shows as edited by user_12345.
They keep your email even after account removal if you ever mapped.
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Privacy policy
“Since we do not allow edits we will non-publicly retain your e-mail address in case you need to be contacted with respect to your contributions.”
For example, years later they could still email you about an old edit.
They do not promise the map or site will be correct, safe, or always up.
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Terms of service
“We provide the Services on an "as is" and "as available" basis, and we expressly disclaim all express or of all kinds”
For example, if a wrong road in the map causes you trouble, they say that is your risk.
If they are at all, they cap what they would pay at £1000.
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Terms of service
“In no event shall our exceed one thousand British pounds (GBP 1000.00) in aggregate.”
For example, even if a big outage hurt your work, they say they will not pay more than £1000.
If they post new rules, keeping using the site means you agreed.
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Terms of service
“your continued use of the Services after new Terms become effective constitutes your binding acceptance of the new Terms.”
For example, they could change privacy rules tomorrow and staying logged in counts as yes.
They can shut the whole service down without warning.
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Terms of service
“we reserve the right to suspend or end the Services at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.”
For example, the website could go offline overnight and you would have no promised notice.
Site managers can read site messages when they think they need to for spam, rules, or the law.
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Privacy policy
“By using those that are provided by the OSMF, for example the messaging system on openstreetmap.org, you agree to your communications being intercepted by OSMF system managers when necessary to address operational issues, to enforce our acceptable use policies, most notably to prevent SPAM, and to fulfil any legal obligations.”
For example, a private OSM message about a map dispute could be read by an admin.
Kids under 13 are not allowed; teens 13–15 need a parent-made account with extra limits.
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Terms of service
“You must be 13 years or older to use the Services.”
For example, a 14-year-old may map but is not supposed to use diaries or forums.
They say they will not post or share your email with other users or companies.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“The registered email address for an OSM user account, will never intentionally be published on the internet anywhere, shared with third party organisations, or revealed directly to other logged in users.”
For example, another mapper cannot look up your email on the site.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- 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.
- limitation of liability
- A cap on what the company will ever pay you if something goes wrong, often only what you paid in the last year. For example, if a leak of your data costs you thousands, the most you may get back is a month's subscription fee.
- de-identified
- Data with your name and obvious identifiers removed, though it can sometimes still be traced back to you. For example, your chats with names stripped out may still be kept and studied after you delete your account.
- 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.
- 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 B · score 52/100 · 14 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 2 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
Besides account and edits, they take optional GPS traces, optional home location, server logs, analytics like Piwik, and coarse location from Geo-DNS.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
These documents do not describe collecting voice, face, or body data.
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?
Admins can read site messages for operations, spam, acceptable-use rules, and legal duties, and only admins see emails.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They mention logs and Piwik analytics, not advertising or ad trackers.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say personal information that could identify you is not released to third parties except as required by law. Map edits themselves are public.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Map edits are recorded with your user ID and made available to everyone. OSM data is under the Open Database License.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You request account removal. If you contributed, edits stay under a renamed user and they keep your email privately.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
There is an optional home location for nearby mappers, not a lasting AI memory of you.
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 13+. Ages 13–15 need a parent-created account with no personal data and no social features. Registering is treated as saying you are 16.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
They post new terms on the OSMF site and say continued use is acceptance. Privacy policy has no date in the text given.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may suspend or end the Services anytime without cause or notice. Accounts can be cancelled for policy violations and you may lose stored data.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is with almost all warranties disclaimed, and liability is capped at £1000.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
These documents do not describe paid subscriptions or refunds.
The privacy policy is 1,557 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 45.4); the terms are 2,853 words at a college level.
