Orcid
- The policy allows AI training; it does not describe an opt-out.
- 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.
You control what is public, but public data stays forever, they take a license.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
- Capped at C (the answers alone would give B): Uses your content for AI training with no opt-out
Collected
Name, email, research record details, plus IP, device, browser, and how you use the site.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“When you access our Websites or the Registry we collect the following information: Your IP address (which may reveal your approximate location)”
Training
They run the registry, publish what you mark public, and train abuse-detection models on usage.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may use the information we collect to train machine learning models that detect patterns of abuse in Registry usage.”
Sharing
They say they never sell data; public items go to everyone, and processors and trusted parties can see more.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We never sell your personal data, and we do not share it with marketers or advertisers.”
Kept
Deactivating deletes most of your record, but your ID, hashed email, and public-file copies stay.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Record Data that has been published in the Public Data File (see 7.1) is retained permanently and cannot be deleted.”
Controls
You set visibility, revoke trusted parties, download data, or deactivate in the registry.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you are a Record Holder you control the visibility of most of the data items in your ORCID Record.”
Fine print
license on deposits, as-is service, and you cover their legal costs.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“you grant ORCID and its users a , , worldwide, license to , reproduce, store, modify, transmit, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display such data”
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.
Set visibility to Only Me or Trusted Parties for anything you do not want public
ORCID Record privacy settings / Help Center privacy settings guidance
Download your data or deactivate your account
ORCID Registry account; deactivation deletes most data except iD and hashed email
Revoke Trusted Organizations and Trusted Individuals
Trusted Parties page of your Record
Contact the Data Protection Officer for other data requests
privacy@orcid.org (listed as [email protected] in the policy)
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Anything you put in the registry can be copied and reused forever, even after you leave, limited by the privacy setting you chose.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“you grant ORCID and its users a , , worldwide, license to , reproduce, store, modify, transmit, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display such data”
For example, a paper title you once marked public can keep circulating in other databases after you delete it from your record.
Once your public data is in the yearly download, ORCID will not remove it.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Record Data that has been published in the Public Data File (see 7.1) is retained permanently and cannot be deleted.”
For example, an old affiliation that went into last year’s public file stays in that file even if you later hide it.
If someone sues ORCID because of how you used the registry, you may have to pay their costs.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“You agree to and ORCID, and its agents and representatives, and its and their directors, officers and employees from and against any , damage, loss, cost or expense”
For example, if you deposited someone else’s work and they sued ORCID, you could be asked to cover legal fees.
They can lock you out if they decide you broke the rules or threatened the system.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“We also reserve the right to discontinue access for any user (including a Record Holder or Trusted Individual) who violates these Terms and Conditions of Use or otherwise disrupts the operation of or poses a security threat to the Registry in ORCID's sole discretion.”
For example, they could lock a record they think is for a company, not a person, and you would have to email support.
Your usage and records can be used to train abuse-detection models, with no opt-out described.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may use the information we collect to train machine learning models that detect patterns of abuse in Registry usage.”
For example, how you edit your record could help train a model that later locks similar accounts.
They promise almost nothing about accuracy or uptime, and is capped at fees you paid (the public registry is free).
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“THE ORCID REGISTRY, THE ORCID WEBSITES, RECORD DATA, THE PUBLIC DATA FILE, AND THE ORCID SOFTWARE (INCLUDING THE PUBLIC API) (individually and collectively, the “ORCID SYSTEM”) ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS”
For example, if wrong data in your record cost you a job, they say they are not .
They say they do not sell your information or give it to ad companies.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We never sell your personal data, and we do not share it with marketers or advertisers.”
For example, they say they will not sell your email list to a journal advertiser.
They say they do not build ad profiles from your data.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Note that we do not use your data for targeted advertising or profiling purposes.”
For example, visiting the registry should not be used to show you targeted product ads.
You choose what is only you, trusted parties, or everyone.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you are a Record Holder you control the visibility of most of the data items in your ORCID Record.”
For example, you can keep your email private while listing publications as public.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- model training
- Using your content and conversations as examples to teach an AI system, which can then echo them in future answers. For example, a story you write in a chatbot may be studied by the company to make the next version of the bot.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- targeted advertising
- Ads chosen for you based on what you have done across other apps and websites, not just this one. For example, you look at shoes in one app and see shoe ads in a totally different app the next day.
- profiling
- Building a picture of who you are, what you like and what you might do next from your data. For example, an app may guess your income, health or politics from what you watch and tap.
How we got here · grade C · score 59/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 1 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
Besides account and record content, they collect IP address, device type, browser, screen size, and usage logs.
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?
They use collected registry information to train machine-learning models that detect abuse, and they do not describe an opt-out.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
Staff and processors with a need to know can see private data; they also manually review locked records for abuse.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They say they do not use data for targeted advertising or profiling and do not share with marketers.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they never sell personal data and do not share it with marketers; public items are shared because you marked them public.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You still own deposited data, but you grant ORCID and users a perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable license that continues after you leave.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can deactivate in the registry, but the iD, hashed email, backups, and anything already in the public data file are kept permanently.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
Your ORCID record is a lasting public profile you can edit, hide fields, revoke trusted parties, download, or deactivate.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They describe security measures and say data-protection practices are independently assessed each year against DPF requirements.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
Terms say you may not create a record if under 18; the privacy policy asks under-16s not to share data. No age-check method is described.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The privacy policy is dated 26 September 2024 and they say they will post changes and extra notice for significant ones; terms say continued use means you accept.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may discontinue access in their sole discretion for violations or security threats; they notify by email if they lock a record.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is, liability is capped at fees paid, and you must indemnify ORCID for use of the registry.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
They say obtaining an ORCID iD and using the registry is free of charge to the public; no consumer subscription terms are described.
The privacy policy is 7,753 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 43.6); the terms are 4,100 words at a college graduate level.
