Is Synology's Terms of Service safe?

Top concerning points

1. 1.

   Specific content can be deleted without reason and may be removed 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.

   Your personal data is used for advertising

   bad

   High

   Your interaction with the service and data you have shared with them may be gathered to create an advertising ID or profile to target ads on you, either on the website you were visiting or in third party websites.

   Source quote / document
3. 3.

   Third-party cookies are used for advertising

   bad

   High

   The service's website sets third-party cookies (cookies that do not belong to their domain) for purposes not including statistics and analytics.

4. 4.

   Instead of asking directly, this Service will assume your consent to changes of terms merely from your usage.

   bad

   High

   The Service infers your acceptance from your continued usage, instead of prompting you to read the new Terms and asking for direct consent. This doesn’t apply to services that have no way to seek consent from users through their contact details or an account.

   Source quote / document
5. 5.

   This service gives your personal data to third parties involved in its operation

   bad

   High

   Your personal data is or may be given to third parties essential to the service’s operation. This could be an external spam detection service for an internet forum.

6. 6.

   You are tracked via web beacons, tracking pixels, browser fingerprinting, and/or device fingerprinting

   bad

   High

   Tracking technologies (such as web beacons, tracking pixels...) are employed on users and/or the service assigns a unique ID to a browser or device to track its behaviour.

   Source quote / document
7. 7.

   You waive your right to a class action.

   bad

   High

   The right to be represented in a class action (or representative action) exists in the US and some European countries. It allows people who have been similarly injured by the same accused to take legal action by a single lawsuit instead of individually. Some Terms of Service try to limit that right. By agreeing to them, you could waive (= renounce to) your right to a class action, which might reduce your chances to be successful in a case.

   Source quote / document
8. 8.

   Third-party cookies are used for statistics

   bad

   High

   For instance, Google Analytics, rather than self-hosted (first-party) statistics software.

   Source quote / document

Frequently asked questions

What is Synology's ToS;DR privacy grade?

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

Is Synology'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 Synology's terms?

Specific content can be deleted without reason and may be removed 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 Synology's official terms?

ToS;DR tracks "Website Terms of Use" at https://www.synology.com/en-global/company/legal/terms_conditions. Always prefer the official document over summaries.