Vimeo
- 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.
Vimeo collects account, video, device, and ad data, shares it with advertisers, and deletes most of it when you close your account.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account info, videos, payments, device data, session replays, and sometimes a selfie or ID for age checks.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“This data includes your IP address, rough geolocation derived from IP address, technical information about your device (e.g., browser type, operating system, basic device information), and the web page you visited or search query you entered before reaching us.”
Training
They run the service, personalize videos, show ads on other sites, and may use machine learning on your data.
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Privacy policy
“Marketing and advertising: We use your data to show you ads on third-party sites, and to measure the effectiveness of those ads.”
Sharing
Vendors, advertisers, analytics firms, and people you share videos with can see some of your data.
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Privacy policy
“Advertising: We may share your data with advertising companies to display relevant ads to you, and to measure the effectiveness of those ads.”
Kept
They keep data while you have an account, then delete most of it, but some logs and tax records stay.
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Privacy policy
“We retain your data for as long as you have an account. When you close an account, we will delete your data.”
Controls
You can hide videos, close your account, opt out of marketing emails, and limit cookies.
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Privacy policy
“You may close your account (which will delete all videos) or delete certain videos.”
Fine print
Material privacy cuts get email notice.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If we change the Privacy Policy in a way that materially lessens our commitments to you, we will provide notice to registered users by email or other methods.”
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.
Close your account or delete videos
Privacy Policy Section 14 and account settings (close account deletes all videos)
Opt out of commercial emails
Account settings or the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email (Section 9)
Limit cookies
Vimeo Cookie Policy options referenced in Section 14
Contact privacy for rights requests
privacy@vimeo.com or Vimeo.com, Inc., Attention: Data Protection Officer, 330 West 34th Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10001
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 can replay how you move around the site, not just what you upload.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may also record your on-site activities, including button clicks, mouse movements, scrolling, and non-sensitive keystroke activity.”
For example, a recording of your mouse path while you edit a video could be stored for troubleshooting.
Your Vimeo activity can be sent to ad companies so they can target you elsewhere.
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Privacy policy
“We may share your data with advertising companies to display relevant ads to you, and to measure the effectiveness of those ads.”
For example, watching certain videos could lead to related ads on other websites.
Using AI translation means they take voice data from your video.
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Privacy policy
“If you use Vimeo AI to translate the audio track of your video, we collect data about your voice in order to provide those services.”
For example, a spoken narration you upload could be processed as voice data for translation.
If you break the referral rules, you may have to pay Vimeo’s legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree to , defend, and Vimeo, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims”
For example, sending bulk referral emails that violate spam law could leave you covering Vimeo’s defense costs.
They may ask for a selfie so software can guess your age.
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Privacy policy
“A temporary selfie used with technology that estimates your age.”
For example, creating an account in some places might require a face photo that is used to estimate age.
They can run automated systems, including machine learning, on the data uses they list.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may use algorithms, machine learning, and other automated means to implement any of the above.”
For example, viewing history could be fed into systems that pick recommended videos or ads.
Closing the account deletes most data, but some records can stay for business or legal reasons.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“When you close an account, we will delete your data. We may retain logs of automatically collected information (for internal analytics and security purposes); your email address; your tax information; communications with you; and your transactional information”
For example, after you leave, they might still keep purchase records for taxes.
Private videos can still be looked at by Vimeo for rules, support, or bugs.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Regardless of your profile or video privacy settings, Vimeo reserves the right to inspect them for compliance with its Terms of Service, to provide customer support, or to address technical issues.”
For example, a video set to private could still be reviewed if they think it breaks the rules.
If they weaken privacy promises, registered users should get a notice.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If we change the Privacy Policy in a way that materially lessens our commitments to you, we will provide notice to registered users by email or other methods.”
For example, if they start keeping deleted videos longer, they say they will email account holders.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How we got here · grade C · score 45/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 5 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
Besides account and video content, they collect IP, rough location, device details, referrer pages, cookies, and session replays of clicks and mouse movement.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
If you use Vimeo AI to translate audio, they collect voice data from your video. Age checks may use a temporary selfie.
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 inspect videos for Terms compliance, support, or technical issues, and they report suspected child-exploitation content.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use your data for ads on third-party sites and share data with advertising companies and ad partners.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share with vendors, advertisers, analytics providers, and affiliates. Some privacy rights, including objecting, depend on where you live.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Not stated in the documents.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
Closing your account deletes your data, but they do not promise a 30- or 90-day wipe, and some logs, tax, and transaction records can remain.
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?
They describe physical, technical, and organizational security measures but do not claim an audit or bug-bounty program here.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be at least 16 or the age of majority. They may use a confirmation, selfie, ID, or payment card, but it is largely self-declared unless required locally.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The privacy policy is dated and says registered users get notice if a change materially lessens commitments.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
Not stated in the documents.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
Referral members must indemnify Vimeo for breaches and misuse. Main warranty and liability caps are only incorporated by reference, not quoted here.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Not stated in the documents.
The privacy policy is 4,014 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 34.3); the terms are 1,268 words at a professional or legal expert level.
