TermsRating
Companies / Amazon Web Services / Terms of Service

Amazon Web Services Terms of Service

7 serious, 5 to watch. Found 16 of 23 practices.
D

Do they get wide rights to what you post or upload?Yes

Contributed Content you contribute as an End User is the Content of the project owner, and is not considered Your Content for the purposes of rights and obligations under the terms of this Agreement. Contributed Content may be viewed by others who have access to that project. Unless you enter into a license with other parties who have access to the project specifying different terms, you grant each party who has access to the project a nonexclusive, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, prepare derivatives, distribute, perform, and display Contributed Content you contribute as an End User. You represent and warrant that you have all rights necessary to grant this license.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 407–407
In plain wordsIf you contribute to a project, you give everyone with access to that project a permanent, global right to use, change, and share your work. This means you lose control over how your contributions are used by others in the project.

Do they sell or share your data?Yes

Advertising cookies may be set through our site by us or our advertising partners and help us deliver relevant marketing content. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less relevant advertising. Allowed Blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of our sites. You may review and change your choices at any time by selecting Cookie preferences in the footer of this site. We and selected third-parties use cookies or similar technologies as specified in the AWS Cookie Notice. CancelSave preferences Your privacy choices We and our advertising partners (“we”) may use information we collect from or about you to show you ads on other websites and online services.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 335–340
In plain wordsThe company and its advertising partners use your information to show you personalized ads on other websites. This means your browsing activity is shared with third-party advertisers to track your interests.

Can they read your private messages?Yes

15.4. We may suspend or terminate your access to SES, or block or decline to send or receive any SES Email, if we determine that your use of SES fails to comply with the AWS Acceptable Use Policy and these Terms, for example if: our scan of SES Email or Your Content included in SES Email reveals abusive or low quality email (such as “spam” or other harmful or unwanted items), SES Email bounces back to us or we receive abuse complaints (including complaints from third parties) in connection with your SES Email, or the source or ReturnPath email address you have provided us for “address bounces” or complaints is not successfully receiving email. 15.5.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 567–572
In plain wordsAWS may scan the content of your emails to check for spam, abuse, or low-quality content. This means they are reviewing the data within your messages to ensure you are following their usage rules.

Do they refuse responsibility when things break?Yes

EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, AWS AND ITS AFFILIATES AND LICENSORS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF ANY COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. AWS’S AND ITS AFFILIATES’ AND LICENSORS’ AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY BETA SERVICES AND BETA REGIONS WILL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT YOU ACTUALLY PAY US UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR THE BETA SERVICES OR BETA REGIONS THAT GAVE RISE TO THE CLAIM DURING THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM. 3. Amazon CloudFront
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 415–416
In plain wordsThis clause means the company does not guarantee its services will work perfectly and limits the amount of money you can recover if something goes wrong. If you use "Beta" services, the most you can ever get back is what you paid for those specific services over the last year.

Do they use your data to target ads?Yes

If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less relevant advertising. Allowed Blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of our sites. You may review and change your choices at any time by selecting Cookie preferences in the footer of this site. We and selected third-parties use cookies or similar technologies as specified in the AWS Cookie Notice. CancelSave preferences Your privacy choices We and our advertising partners (“we”) may use information we collect from or about you to show you ads on other websites and online services. Under certain laws, this activity is referred to as “cross-context behavioral advertising” or “targeted advertising.”
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 335–340
In plain wordsThe company and its partners use information collected about you to show you personalized ads on other websites. You can change your cookie settings if you want to limit this tracking.

Do they lock you in for a year or more?Yes

Reserved Nodes are nontransferable, and all amounts paid in connection with Reserved Nodes are nonrefundable, except that if we terminate the Agreement other than for cause, terminate an individual Reserved Node type, or terminate the Reserved Node program, we will refund you a pro rata portion of any up-front fee paid in connection with any previously designated Reserved Node. Upon expiration or termination of the term of a Reserved Node, the Reserved Node pricing will expire and standard on-demand usage prices will apply to the Amazon Redshift node.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 859–859
In plain wordsOnce you select a term, you are committed to paying for the entire duration even if you cancel your service. You cannot get refunds for these nodes unless the company decides to end the program or cancel your specific node type.

Do you pay their legal bills?Yes

66.4. You will defend and indemnify AWS and its Affiliates for any and all claims, damages, liabilities, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in any way related to Your or your designees’ actions while at or inside an AWS Data Transfer Terminal facility. 66.5. You will reasonably cooperate with us to identify the source of any problem with AWS Data Transfer Terminal or related AWS Services that we reasonably believe may be attributable to Your or your designees' actions at or inside a Data Transfer Terminal facility. 67. AWS Training
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 1056–1058
In plain wordsIf your actions (or those of your staff) cause a problem or legal claim at an AWS facility, you must pay for AWS's legal defense and any resulting costs or damages.

Can they change the deal without asking?Partly

2.2. You must comply with all terms related to any Beta Service or Beta Region as posted on the AWS Site or otherwise made available to you. AWS may add or modify terms, including lowering or raising any usage limits, related to access to or use of any Beta Services or Beta Regions at any time. AWS may add, modify, or remove functionality, features, documentation, or other related aspects of any Beta Service or Beta Region at any time and these aspects may be different from any generally available version of the applicable Beta Service or Beta Region. Service Level Agreements do not apply to Beta Services or Beta Regions.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 411–411
In plain wordsAWS can change the rules, features, and usage limits for Beta services whenever they want. By continuing to use these services, you are agreeing to whatever new terms they set.

Can they cut you off any time?Partly

Amazon Sidewalk is provided by Ring LLC, however usage of and connectivity to Amazon Sidewalk from AWS is included as a part of AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk. You agree to, and must comply with, the following (which can be found in the Amazon Sidewalk User Guide): (i) the Amazon Sidewalk Program Requirements; (ii) the On Amazon Sidewalk qualification program; and (iii) the Amazon Sidewalk Program Security Requirements. We may suspend or terminate Amazon Sidewalk and/or your access to it at any time without prior notice.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 777–777
In plain wordsThe company can stop your access to Amazon Sidewalk or shut down the service entirely whenever they want without telling you beforehand.

Do they track you across sites, apps or places?Partly

53.9.1. Your use of Amazon Chime SDK speaker search is subject to additional Biometric Notice and Consent Service Terms. 53.10. Amazon Chime SDK ML Services use machine learning models that generate predictions based on patterns in data. Output generated by Amazon Chime SDK ML Services is probabilistic and should be evaluated for accuracy as appropriate for your use case, including by employing human review of the output or combining it with other verification factors. You and your End Users are responsible for all decisions made, advice given, actions taken, and failures to take action based on your use of Amazon Chime SDK ML Services. 53.11.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 956–958
In plain wordsUsing the speaker search feature may involve the collection of your biometric data. You are also subject to additional specific terms regarding how this biometric information is handled.

Can they hand your data to authorities without telling you?Partly

50.8.4. Law Enforcement Agencies that use Amazon Rekognition for criminal investigations must provide a public disclosure describing their use of facial recognition systems. The method and content of the disclosure is at the reasonable discretion of the agency, but should be easily accessible to the public (such as a posting on a website), describe how the facial recognition system is used, and summarize safeguards in place to prevent violations of civil liberties or equivalent human rights. For examples, see this statement from the FBI and the Facial Recognition Policy Development Template published by the U.S Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. 50.9. Amazon Rekognition.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 886–887
In plain wordsThis clause focuses on the responsibilities of law enforcement agencies rather than Amazon's notification process. It does not contain a promise that Amazon will notify you if they provide your data to the government.

Does your subscription renew by itself?Partly

67.4.4. Auto-Renewal. Unless you notify us before a charge that you want to cancel or do not want to auto renew, your Digital Training subscription will automatically continue and you authorize us (without notice to you, unless required by applicable law) to collect the then-applicable subscription service fees and any taxes, using any payment method we have on record for you. We may change the Digital Training subscription service fee from time to time by notifying you of the change and effective date before it takes effect. You may reject the change by cancelling your subscription at no additional cost at any time before a subscription service fee change takes effect.
aws.amazon.com/service-terms, lines 1071–1071
In plain wordsYour subscription will automatically renew and your saved payment method will be charged unless you cancel before the next billing date.

Checked, nothing hostile

  • Lets you delete your account or data.
  • Does not say it uses your content or data to train AI.
  • Does not keep its rights to your content once you delete it or leave.
  • Does not say it shows your name, photo or activity in ads.

Not covered by these documents

The documents we read do not mention these practices, which usually live in a document we haven’t read yet:

  • Do you give up the right to sue?
  • Do they keep your data after you leave?
  • Do they combine your data across products?
  • Can your data go to a buyer if the company is sold?
  • Are they off the hook if your data leaks?
  • Must disputes be settled in their chosen court?
  • Do they own your ideas and feedback?