patch
- The policy allows AI training; it does not describe an opt-out.
- 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.
Patch collects lots of tracking data, shares it for ads, trains AI on support chats.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
- Uses your content for AI training with no opt-out
Collected
Account info, posts, device and ad IDs, browsing, partner data, and sometimes GPS location.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“This information includes, without limitation, your IP address, browser type, operating system, Internet service provider, mobile network, type of mobile device, mobile carrier, phone number, device identifiers and settings, advertising identifiers”
Training
They personalize ads, infer interests, and may train AI on support chats you send.
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Privacy policy
“In addition, your chat sessions may be recorded for quality control and training and may be used for training AI models.”
Sharing
Ad partners, service providers, and anyone who reads your public posts can see data.
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Privacy policy
“We may share non-personally identifiable information, such as advertising identifiers or other information with third parties to facilitate targeted or interest-based advertising, including advertising across devices and platforms.”
Kept
They keep data as long as they think they need it, even after you close your account.
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Privacy policy
“This means we may retain your Personal Information even if you close your account with Patch.”
Controls
You can email them to update or delete data and use a form to opt out of sale.
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Privacy policy
“You can request that we update, correct or delete your personal information by sending an email to support@patch.com.”
Fine print
A huge content license, they can ban you anytime, and fees are non-refundable.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“we may suspend, limit or terminate your account, or all or a portion of your access to the Service, at any time with or without notice and with or without cause.”
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 of personal information
Patch Privacy Web Form or email privacy@patch.com
Request correction or deletion of your data
Email support@patch.com, or privacy@patch.com / Patch Privacy Web Form for California requests
Turn off location collection on your device
Device location settings (they say some features will stop working)
Unsubscribe from marketing emails
“email preferences” link in emails or support@patch.com
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
If you chat or email support, they can keep that and use it to train AI, and they do not describe a way to turn that off.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“In addition, your chat sessions may be recorded for quality control and training and may be used for training AI models.”
For example, if you email privacy@patch.com about deleting data, that email may be fed to an AI model.
Anything you post can be copied, edited, licensed to others, and used in ads forever, even after you leave.
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Terms of service
“you grant Patch and Patch’s licensees (and any of Patch’s contractors and licensors with respect to any of Your Content you provide to them through your use of our Site) a , , non-exclusive, worldwide license”
For example, a neighbor post you later regret could still be reused in marketing without paying you.
You generally cannot sue in court or join a .
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Terms of service
“Any dispute, claim or controversy relating in any way to these Terms of Use, your access to or use of the Service, or to any product or service provided by Patch”
For example, if many users were harmed the same way, you could not join a class lawsuit.
If your posts or use of the site cause a legal fight, you may have to pay Patch’s legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree to and Patch, its officers, directors, members, employees, licensors, licensees, business partners and agents”
For example, if someone sues over a comment you posted, you could be on the hook for Patch’s lawyers.
They and ad partners build interest profiles from your browsing, location, and guesses about you.
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Privacy policy
“Deliver, and help advertisers and content providers deliver, advertising and content that is customized to your individual behavior or demographic, based on your use of the Service and other online or mobile websites, apps and services, location information and inferred interests”
For example, reading local crime stories could lead to targeted ads on other sites.
The app can collect precise GPS-style location for ads and personalized content if location is on.
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Privacy policy
“Patch may receive information about your location (such as geolocation, beacon-based location and GPS location, which as discussed above may be considered sensitive personal information)”
For example, walking around town with the app open could feed street-level location into ad targeting.
They can shut you out for any reason and do not have to warn you first.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“we may suspend, limit or terminate your account, or all or a portion of your access to the Service, at any time with or without notice and with or without cause.”
For example, a classified you paid for could disappear overnight with no notice.
Closing your account does not mean they erase everything.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“This means we may retain your Personal Information even if you close your account with Patch.”
For example, old comments and device data may stay in their systems after you leave.
Staff or vendors can read posts when they choose; there is no opt-out of that review.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Patch is under no obligation to screen or monitor any content, but we may, in our discretion, review content, including Your Content, from time to time”
For example, a comment you thought was just for neighbors could be read by a moderator.
Money you pay for listings or events is not coming back, even if they take the post down.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Sorry, but unless we specifically agree otherwise, all fees are non-refundable – even if we remove the classified, listing or event, for example .”
For example, if they remove your paid classified, you still do not get a refund.
California-style sale/sharing of some data can be turned off if you fill out their form or email them.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you wish to opt-out of sale of your personal information, please use the Patch Privacy Web Form, or if you prefer contact us via email at privacy@patch.com”
For example, you can submit the privacy form so they stop some ad-related sharing.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How we got here · grade F · score 30/100 · 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 account details, posts, device and ad IDs, browsing, partner data, inferences, and GPS-style location on mobile—more than needed to read local news.
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?
Support chats and emails may be used to train AI models, and no opt-out is described.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They may review posts and content at their discretion for rules, with no opt-out.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Many ad partners use cookies and IDs to target ads across sites and devices.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share identifiers with ad partners and say some sharing may be a CCPA “sale,” with a form to opt out.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership of posts, but you give Patch a perpetual, irrevocable license that includes licensees and ad use.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You delete by emailing them; they may still keep data after you close an account.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They infer interests and characteristics with automated tools, but do not describe memory controls.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They say they use reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial safeguards, but do not guarantee security.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
The service is not directed at children under 13; they do not describe a strong age check.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Policies are dated, but continued use after they post changes counts as acceptance.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can suspend or terminate your account anytime, with or without notice or cause.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is “as is,” liability is capped at $10 or a year of fees, and you must indemnify them.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Some listings cost money; they say all fees are non-refundable even if they remove the post. Auto-renew is not clearly described.
The privacy policy is 7,545 words at a professional or legal expert level (Flesch reading ease 10.9); the terms are 6,004 words at a professional or legal expert level.
