W3Schools
- 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 documents do not say who can read your content.
W3Schools tracks free users for ads, can close accounts at will, and subscriptions generally are not refunded.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
They collect your name, email, phone, payments, support chats, device IDs, cookies, and how you browse.
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Privacy policy
“This includes clicks, pages viewed, searches, the web browser used, page response times, errors, date and time stamps, request details (like speed and frequency), the site you came from”
Training
They run the site, improve products, market to you, and show targeted ads to free users.
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Privacy policy
“For Free Users Only: We use your personal information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications that we believe may interest you.”
Sharing
, payment firms, and ad partners like Google can get your information.
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Privacy policy
“We share your information with partners who specialize in advertising across multiple websites. This sharing allows us to personalize your experience and provide you with targeted advertisements.”
Kept
Delete your account in your profile; they say related data is deleted within 30 days.
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Privacy policy
“Go to your W3Schools Profile and click on 'Delete My Account' at the bottom of the page. Your account and related data will be deleted within 30 days.”
Controls
You can unsubscribe from marketing, manage cookies, and opt out of targeted ads via industry tools.
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Privacy policy
“You can opt out of receiving marketing emails by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or by contacting us directly.”
Fine print
They can change terms if you keep using the site; services are as-is; subscriptions usually have no refunds.
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Terms of service
“If you continue to use or access the Website or the Service after we post changes, you thereby accept those changes.”
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.
Delete your account
W3Schools Profile, click 'Delete My Account' at the bottom of the page
Opt out of targeted ads
Digital Advertising Alliance http://optout.aboutads.info/ or Your Online Choice https://www.youronlinechoices.com
Unsubscribe from marketing emails
Unsubscribe link in marketing emails or contact help@w3schools.com
Cancel app subscriptions
Apple App Store or Google Play account settings, at least 24 hours before renewal
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 use the free site, they and ad partners try to show ads based on you.
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Privacy policy
“We use your personal information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications that we believe may interest you.”
For example, ads may follow you based on pages you visited on W3Schools.
They can shut your account and take down your Spaces sites if they decide you broke the rules.
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Terms of service
“If you breach our Terms, we may terminate your access to the Services immediately. At our sole discretion, we reserve the right to remove or restrict your account and any content you've created, such as websites or other user-generated data.”
For example, a site you built on Spaces could be removed without a long warning.
If someone sues them because of how you used the site, you may have to cover that.
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Terms of service
“By using our Services, you agree that W3Schools and its related parties (owners, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns, and employees) are not responsible for any third-party claims or lawsuits that come from your violation of these Terms”
For example, if content you posted causes a lawsuit, they can come after you for costs.
Paid plans keep your money for the period you already paid, even if you cancel.
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Terms of service
“We do not provide refunds for plans or subscriptions. You may cancel your subscription anytime, but no refunds will be issued for the period you paid for.”
For example, canceling mid-month does not get you a partial refund.
New rules can apply just because you keep using the site after they post them.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“If you continue to use or access the Website or the Service after we post changes, you thereby accept those changes.”
For example, you might not get an email before a new term takes effect.
They do not promise the site will work or be accurate.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Unless otherwise stated, we offer the Website and the Services "as is" and "as available" without express or or guarantees.”
For example, if a tutorial is wrong and you lose time, they say they are not .
Ad companies across the web help target you.
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Privacy policy
“These ads are managed by partners who specialize in advertising across multiple websites. They collect data about the websites you visit to personalize ads for you”
For example, Google or other listed ad partners may use your browsing to pick ads.
You can delete your account yourself and they say it is gone in about a month.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Go to your W3Schools Profile and click on 'Delete My Account' at the bottom of the page. Your account and related data will be deleted within 30 days.”
For example, after you click Delete My Account, they say data is removed within 30 days.
What you build or post is yours, and you are on the hook for it.
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Terms of service
“You create and own your user-generated content and are fully responsible for it.”
For example, a website you make in Spaces belongs to you, including any problems in it.
They say kids under 16 should not use it, and they claim not to collect from under 13 on purpose.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Our Service is generally not intended for users under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13”
For example, a 12-year-old should not sign up; parents can email help@w3schools.com.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How we got here · grade C · score 45/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 4 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and payment details plus usage, device IDs, cookies, and approximate location from IP.
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?
Not stated in the documents.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Free users get targeted ads run by advertising partners across websites.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share with sub-processors and ad partners. users can opt out of sale or sharing for ads.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
They say you create and own your user-generated content and are responsible for it.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can delete your account in your profile; they say related data is deleted within 30 days.
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 administrative, technical, and physical safeguards in general terms.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
They say the service is generally not for under 16 and they do not knowingly collect from under 13.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The policies are dated, but continued use after posting counts as acceptance without a clear advance-notice period.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may terminate access immediately for a breach and can remove your account and content at their discretion.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
Services are as-is with broad liability limits, and you must cover claims from your breach of the terms.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Plans and subscriptions are not refunded; app subscriptions renew unless you cancel at least 24 hours ahead.
The privacy policy is 3,671 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 44.3); the terms are 2,447 words at a fairly hard level.
