Zillow
- 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.
- Staff may review your content; the policy does not describe an opt-out.
Zillow collects search and device data, shares it for ads and with agents, takes a license, and can close you anytime.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account info, home searches, device IDs, partner data, and sometimes precise location.
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Privacy policy
“This includes things like your home search history, homes you view, purchase activity, what you’ve clicked on, and the amount of time you spend looking at different parts of our websites.”
Training
They personalize the site, market to you, use AI in the product, and run targeted ads.
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Privacy policy
“We may participate in interest-based advertising and use third party advertising companies to serve you targeted advertisements based on your browsing history.”
Sharing
Agents, ad networks, affiliates, and service providers can get your data; some sharing is a “sale.”
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Privacy policy
“Our disclosure of personal data to the following categories of third parties may qualify as the sale of personal data, or the sharing or processing of personal data for the purpose of displaying advertisements”
Kept
They keep it as long as they say they need it, including in backups after deletion.
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Privacy policy
“We strive to retain your personal data only for as long as is reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected and in accordance with applicable laws.”
Controls
You can use the Privacy Portal, cookie tools, and account settings to opt out of ads and .
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Privacy policy
“You may take action regarding your personal data in our Privacy Portal.”
Fine print
You must be 18; they can close you anytime; fees are non-refundable; you them.
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Terms of service
“we may, in our sole discretion, deactivate, suspend, or terminate your access to your account and the Services at any time for any reason, with or without notice.”
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/sharing and targeted ads
Privacy Portal or “Cookie Preference” link in the website footer
of your account data
https://privacy.zillowgroup.com/ (“delete your data”) or Privacy Portal
Turn off precise location
Mobile device or browser location settings
Cancel a subscription before renewal
Account settings page, or consumercare@zillow.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.
Anything you upload can be used by them forever, including copies and edits, even in other media.
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Terms of service
“by uploading or otherwise providing User Materials to the Services, you grant us an , , worldwide license to: (i) use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display”
For example, a photo you add to a listing could still be used after you leave the site.
If someone sues them because of how you used the site, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree to , defend, and the Zillow Companies, our affiliates, and our respective directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all claims”
For example, a dispute over a review you posted could leave you covering their lawyers.
They can shut your account whenever they want and do not have to warn you first.
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Terms of service
“we may, in our sole discretion, deactivate, suspend, or terminate your access to your account and the Services at any time for any reason, with or without notice.”
For example, you could lose saved searches overnight with no email.
Third-party ad companies track how you use Zillow so they can show you ads elsewhere.
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Privacy policy
“We may participate in interest-based advertising and use third party advertising companies to serve you targeted advertisements based on your browsing history.”
For example, homes you viewed could follow you as ads on other websites.
If you ask to be contacted, agents can get your name, phone, and what homes you looked at.
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Privacy policy
“we may share your contact information and other content provided (e.g., name, email, phone number) and history of home or other property searches, including those you may have saved or liked, with a real estate professional”
For example, liking a listing can send that history to an agent who then calls you.
Money you pay is not coming back, even if you cancel later.
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Terms of service
“All fees are in U.S. dollars and are non-refundable.”
For example, a subscription billed yesterday would not be refunded if you cancel today.
If they mess up, they usually owe you at most $100 or what you paid in the last year.
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Terms of service
“THE OF THE ZILLOW COMPANIES AND ANY OF OUR AFFILIATES TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICES OR OTHERWISE UNDER THESE TERMS OF USE, WHETHER UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF: (1) THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO THE ZILLOW COMPANIES FOR THE SERVICES IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIMS; OR (2) $100.”
For example, a data mix-up that costs you thousands might still cap their payout at $100.
If you turn location on, they can collect exact GPS coordinates.
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Privacy policy
“We may also collect more precise geolocation (e.g., GPS latitude and longitude) of your device, if you permit us to collect this information via your device settings”
For example, searching “homes near me” can send your exact spot.
Phone calls with them or through their tools can be recorded and used for training.
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Terms of service
“Calls may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance, training, or customer service purposes.”
For example, a call to an agent routed through Zillow could be stored and reviewed.
They say you have to be 18, but that is based on you saying so.
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Terms of service
“You must be at least 18 years of age to use the Services.”
For example, a 16-year-old could still sign up by claiming to be 18.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- perpetual
- Lasting forever, with no end date. For example, a perpetual licence means the company can keep using your video years after you leave.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How we got here · grade F · score 30/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 2 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account data, search history, device IDs, analytics, partner and broker data, and precise location if you allow it.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
They collect recordings and transcripts of phone calls and chats, and office video, and keep them as personal 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?
Calls may be recorded or monitored for quality, training, and customer service, with notice at the start of the call.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use third-party ad networks and tracking technologies for interest-based ads across sites and devices.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
Sharing with ad networks may count as a sale or sharing for targeted ads; you can opt out in the Privacy Portal.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Uploads get an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license they can sublicense and use in any media.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
Deletion is through a request (Privacy Portal or delete-your-data page); they keep data as long as they consider necessary, including backups.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They build inferences about your interests and link profile and search history; they do not describe a memory on/off switch.
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?
Terms require you to be 18; privacy says they do not knowingly collect from children under 13. No age-check process is described.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Both documents are dated. They say they will notify of material privacy changes as required by law; terms treat continued use as acceptance.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may deactivate or terminate your account at any time for any reason, with or without notice.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is “as is,” liability is capped at $100 or 12 months of fees, and you must indemnify them for claims from your use.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Subscriptions auto-renew until you cancel; they give advance notice of fee increases; all fees are non-refundable.
The privacy policy is 8,241 words at a professional or legal expert level (Flesch reading ease 2.6); the terms are 7,920 words at a college graduate level.
