Is Shopify's Terms of Service safe?

Top concerning points

1. 1.

   The service can delete specific content without reason and may do it without prior notice

   blocker

   High

   This service can delete specific content. Usually they will claim they reserve the right to do it at their sole discretion, which is legalese for saying they won't give a specific reason. If the terms say they will not notify you, it shall be included in the quote but if it does not explicitly say they will give you a notice, it can be reasonably inferred that they can do it without telling you.

   Source quote / document
2. 2.

   This service still tracks you even if you opted out from tracking

   blocker

   High

   Users can’t fully opt out of tracking technologies used for non essential purposes such as advertising, marketing or analytics. The user may be asked for consent for installing some tracking technologies on the device, and even if all are rejected the service will still track its visitors and ignore the choice.This case doesn’t apply to functional cookies that are necessary to provide the services.

   Source quote / document
3. 3.

   The service may sell your data unless you opt out

   bad

   High

   There is a form to opt-out (typically California's CCPA) of the selling of your personal data. This is a bad a point because there are many services that don't have this form due to not selling your data in the first place.

   Source quote / document
4. 4.

   Your data may be processed and stored anywhere in the world

   bad

   High

   Your data is stored all over the world, including in countries where data protection rules may differ from the ones of the service's jurisdiction or those of your country jurisdiction.

   Source quote / document
5. 5.

   This service tracks you on other websites

   bad

   High

   The service may use tracking technologies in third-party websites to track your online activity while you aren't visiting their Site.

   Source quote / document
6. 6.

   Many third parties are involved in operating the service

   bad

   High

   Generated through the annotate view

   Source quote / document
7. 7.

   Terms may be changed any time at their discretion, without notice to the user

   bad

   High

   The Agreements can be updated at any time, including in a way that negatively affects user rights, without notifying before or after the changes.

   Source quote / document
8. 8.

   The service collects many different types of personal data

   bad

   High

   The service collects different kinds of personal data, such as name, demographic information, postal address, biometric data, device information, IDs, contacts, call logs...

   Source quote / document

Frequently asked questions

What is Shopify's ToS;DR privacy grade?

ToS;DR rates Shopify as Grade E. Grades range from A (best) to E (worst). See the full breakdown on ToS;DR.

Is Shopify's Terms of Service safe?

ToS;DR's Grade E means the terms raise serious concerns. Read the blocker and bad points carefully before accepting.

What is a top concern in Shopify's terms?

The service can delete specific content without reason and may do it without prior notice — This service can delete specific content. Usually they will claim they reserve the right to do it at their sole discretion, which is legalese for saying they won't give a specific reason. If the terms say they will not notify you, it shall be included in the quote but if it does not explicitly say they will give you a notice, it can be reasonably inferred that they can do it without telling you. (Source: ToS;DR approved point).

Where can I read Shopify's official terms?

ToS;DR tracks "Shopify Payments Terms of Service" at https://www.shopify.com/legal/terms-payments-us. Always prefer the official document over summaries.