# Improving our Terms of Service **URL:** \ **Category:** Engage\ **Tags:** tos\ **Created:** [September 14, 2017, 8:18am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463 "2017-09-14T08:18:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 8:18am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/1 "2017-09-14T08:18:26Z")
## Introduction As of 2017-09-14 the [Terms of Service](https://ps.zoethical.org/tos) are set to the default text from [Discourse](https://discourse.org/). This text not only **does not match our situation** , as we are in Europe, but it also **does not match our expectations** , as we’re willing [to match a class A at ToS;DR](https://tosdr.org/classification.html): **to treat you fairly, respect your rights and to not abuse your data**. This topic is: - to openly discuss upcoming changes in our ToS. - to ensure they match ToS;DR’s class A requirements. - to ensure they comply with European law. - to announce changes in the terms. ## Changelog This is where we’ll note the changes in our [ToS](https://ps.zoethical.org/tos). - 2018-05-25: GDPR enters into force. We have a [wiki to improve our privacy policy](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/10). - 2017-09-23: changed jurisdiction of ToS from USA to Belgium. - 2017-09-14: start this topic. ## Open Tasks 1. IANAL, so a good start would be to find an interested lawyer, or an existing set of ‘class A’ terms of service. 2. If you want to follow changes, you should “watch” the topic. Probably at some point we’ll just make a single Announcements topic that every user MUST watch in order for us to comply with the requirement to have you review the terms well before they come into effect. 3. [Section 18](https://ps.zoethical.org/tos#18) states: 4. Review all sections and discuss them. ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 9:00am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/2 "2017-09-14T09:00:38Z")
## ToS;DR Criteria [ToS;DR](https://tosdr.org/) is a grassroots initiative to analyze and classify the terms of service on the Web on behalf of the users. It’s a collaborative project that takes a lot of energy, so you’re welcome to help them. 🙂 This post introduces the categories and topics used by ToS;DR to classify terms of service. We shall use these to help our process of improvement. You’re welcome to quote from here and comment. The categories and topics (questions) come straight from [https://edit.tosdr.org/](https://edit.tosdr.org/) and reflect the upcoming v2 of the system. They’re reproduced here for the purpose of improving our terms of service. For each category I will go like this: 1. check the existing terms and report 2. write what we want to achieve 3. incorporate comments ### Anonymity and Tracking [https://tosdr.org/topics.html#track](https://tosdr.org/topics.html#track) Are you being spied on? ### Changes to the Terms [https://tosdr.org/topics.html#changes](https://tosdr.org/topics.html#changes) ### Notice of Changing Terms _Q: Are users notified when terms change?_ A: Yes, that’s the purpose of this topic. _Q: Are they given enough time to find out what changed and discuss this with each other before deciding whether to continue to use the service under the new terms?_ A: Yes, that’s the purpose of this topic. #### User Involvement in Changing Terms _Q: Are changes proposed as a request for feedback, or imposed unilaterally as a take-it-or-leave-it deal?_ A: We’re negotiating here in this very topic. #### User Choice _Q: How much can YOU decide?_ A: It mostly depends on YOUR engagement. We also have a formal non-profit association behind it. #### User Information Transparency and education ### Equality of Right (not yet linked) Is everyone treated the same? ### Governance Your relationship with the service and the community #### Easy to read _Q: Are the terms easy to find and well written?_ A: Well, not really 😛 #### Jurisdiction and Governing Laws _Q: Where can you sue, or be sued, for breaching of the rules?_ A: In California, which is why we must change the terms, as we’re based in EU. ### Law and Government Requests How do services deal with government requests? #### Law Enforcement and Due Process _Q: What are the law enforcement standards followed by the service?_ A: First, we try to understand what’s going on, second we inform our users, and then we see what to do legally. There’s no ‘gag order’ in the EU, and if there were, we’d rather close the service and move away from Europe than comply to such fascist order. ### ‘Ownership’ What happens with the content you generate on the service? ### Rights to Leave the Service To avoid lock-in and stay in control ### Suspension and Censorship Can they end your use of the service at any time? ### Third Parties What 3rd parties are involved and how the service deals with them. ### Uncategorized #### Business Transfers Is your data a business asset? #### Cookies and related technologies #### Data Portability _Q: Can you get your data back?_ A: **Yes!** You Own Your Own Words (YOYOW). Go to your profile page and click ‘Download All’. #### Guarantee Some services will guarantee you certain features, or explicitly reject any guarantee. #### Logs _Q: How long do they keep them?_ A: Too long. The server is in Germany… What can we do to minimize privacy issues for our users? #### Personal Data Can you control your privacy? #### Scope of the Copyright License Do you grant only the necessary rights? #### Waving Your Rights What kind of rights do you give up on? ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/3 "2017-09-15T18:12:34Z")
# Resources to Research Data Protection [https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/resources-and-support/data-protection-self-assessment-toolkit/](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/resources-and-support/data-protection-self-assessment-toolkit/) ## Data Protection Authorities From [ec.europa.eu](http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/article-29/structure/data-protection-authorities/index_en.htm)… ### Belgium (where :ps: is registered) Commission de la protection de la vie privée Rue de la Presse 35 1000 Bruxelles Tel. +32 2 274 48 00 Fax +32 2 274 48 10 e-mail: [commission@privacycommission.be](mailto:commission@privacycommission.be) Website: [http://www.privacycommission.be/](http://www.privacycommission.be/) ### Germany (where this site is hosted) Die Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Husarenstraße 30 53117 Bonn Tel. +49 228 997799 0; +49 228 81995 0 Fax +49 228 997799 550; +49 228 81995 550 e-mail: [poststelle@bfdi.bund.de](mailto:poststelle@bfdi.bund.de) Website: [http://www.bfdi.bund.de/](http://www.bfdi.bund.de/) The competence for complaints is split among different data protection supervisory authorities in Germany. Competent authorities can be identified according to the list provided under [https://www.bfdi.bund.de/bfdi\_wiki/index.php/Aufsichtsbehörden\_und\_Landesdatenschutzbeauftragte](https://www.bfdi.bund.de/bfdi_wiki/index.php/Aufsichtsbeh%C3%B6rden_und_Landesdatenschutzbeauftragte) Art 29 WP Member: Ms Andrea VOSSHOFF, Federal Commissioner for Freedom of Information Curriculum vitaepdf(170 kB) Art 29 WP Alternate Member: Prof. Dr. Johannes CASPAR, representative of the federal states ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/4 "2017-09-15T18:15:39Z")
## ToS;DR September Meeting I’m scheduled to participate in a Jitsi meeting _circa_ September 22, 2017, where I will get acquainted with the current ‘reboot’ of the project, and point the team to this topic. If you want to join the meeting, check the [framadate for ToSDR September meeting](https://framadate.org/sAleAIfcyyzS425z). * * * The meeting was attended by Michiel de Jong, founder of ToS;DR, and @pksl\_, team member and fellow from the [Source](http://src.brussels) radio broadcast at Radio Campus. Current work is about creating a [Rails application](https://github.com/tosdr/ToSBack3) to take care of tracking terms of service and making it easy to rate them and consume the information. A lot of boring work needs to be done to process data entry in the database, and to kill the development backlog. The team doesn’t seem to be interested in engaging with us at this point to create a class A ToS for Europe, especially as they consider that ToS are likely to be service-specific. We keep in touch anyway to advance that agenda while we keep working on this topic. It was nice to see Michiel! ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/5 "2017-09-19T13:17:50Z")
Let’s get some inspiration by the EU itself. > **[Legal notice](https://european-union.europa.eu/legal-notice_en)** > > The information on this site is subject to a disclaimer and copyright notice. Find out the rules on the use of the EU emblem by third parties. ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/6 "2017-09-20T16:56:48Z")
## Example: Disroot > **[Terms Of Service | Disroot.org](https://disroot.org/tos)** > > Disroot is a platform providing online services based on principles of freedom, privacy, federation and decentralization. > **[Privacy Policy | Disroot.org](https://disroot.org/privacy_policy)** > > Disroot is a platform providing online services based on principles of freedom, privacy, federation and decentralization. ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/7 "2017-09-22T18:00:34Z")
## Customer Commons The idea is to turn terms of services upside down: instead of having to go to each company’s ToS and read them, which nobody will, create a common customers agreement that matches customer rights, and have companies agree to that. A very interesting approach, especially as it is much less time-consuming to customers. > **[Customer Commons](https://customercommons.org)** ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 9:24am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/8 "2017-10-20T09:24:19Z")
[https://www.gdpr-expert.eu/#textesofficiels](https://www.gdpr-expert.eu/#textesofficiels) ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 8:55am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/9 "2018-05-25T08:55:25Z")
@angus made a fantastic privacy policy for his sandbox. Have a look! [https://discourse.angusmcleod.com.au/privacy](https://discourse.angusmcleod.com.au/privacy) I was about to use his [custom wizard plugin](https://github.com/angusmcleod/discourse-custom-wizard) to add a notice for consent, and found it updated for GDPR-compliance. Well done! ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/10 "2018-05-25T15:15:24Z")
Here is a proposal to replace the default [privacy policy](https://ps.zoethical.org/privacy), directly inspired from @angus’… Unless someone objects to it, ~~**it will replace the existing (inappropriate) default within 15 days.**~~ It’s in place! # Privacy Policy This policy decribes how [ps.zoethical.org](https://ps.zoethical.org/) – Petites Singularités or :ps: for short – collects and uses data about you. ## Shortcuts - [What is :ps:?](#what-is-ps) - [How does :ps: collect data about me?](#data-collection) - [What data does :ps: collect about me, and why?](#why-collect) - [How can I make choices about data collection?](#data-choice) - [Where does :ps: store data about me?](#data-location) - [Does :ps: comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation?](#gdpr-compliance) - [Where can I access data about me?](#my-data) - [How can I change or erase data about me?](#change-my-data) - [Does :ps: make automated decisions based on data about me?](#automation) - [Does :ps: share data about me with others?](#third-parties) - [How can I contact :ps: about privacy?](#privacy-contact) - [What if this privacy notice changes?](#privacy-notice-updates) # What is Petites Singularités? :ps: is a non-profit association registered in Belgium and interested in collective practices and free software. You can read [our statutes](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/petites-singularites-asbl/14/2) (in French). This site is a [Discourse](https://discourse.org) instance and our main online working tool. # How does :ps: collect data about me? :ps: collects data about you when: - you browse this site - you create and use an account here - you post, send private messages, and otherwise participate in :ps:. :ps: do not buy or otherwise receive data about you from data brokers or any other third parties. # What data does :ps: collect about me, and why? ## Petites Singularités collect data about visits to forums. When you visit this site, whether you have an account or not, the forum uses cookies, server logs, and other methods to collect data about what pages you visit and when. :ps: use data about how you use the website to: - optimize the forum, so that it’s quick and easy to use - diagnose and debug technical errors - defend the forum from abuse and technical attacks - compile statistics on forum and topic popularity - compile statistics on the kinds of software and computers visitors use :ps: usually stores access data for 2 weeks. These data do not contain your IP information, but if you are logged in, it contains your username. In special circumstances, like extended investigations about technical attacks, :ps: may preserve log data longer, for analysis. ## Petites Singularités collect account data. Many features of :ps: require a forum account. For example, to post and reply to topics. To sign up for a forum account, :ps: requires a username and a valid email address. Your name is optional and may be a pseudonym, no questions asked. :ps: use your account data to identify you on the forum, and to create pages specific to you, like your profile page. Some parts of :ps: are public, so some of your account data is published on the Internet. :ps: use your email address to: - notify you about posts and other activity on the forum - reset your password and help keep your account secure - contact you in special circumstances related to your account - contact you about any legal requests that may occur. You may provide additional data for your account, like a short biography, your location, or your birthday, on the profile settings page for your account. :ps: makes that data available to others who can access the forum. You don’t have to provide this additional information, and you can erase it at any time. :ps: stores your account data as long as your account remains open. ## Petites Singularités collect data about posts and other activity on the forum. :ps: collect the content of your posts, plus data about bookmarks, likes, and links you follow in order to share that data with others, through the forum. :ps: publishes your activity. :ps: also collects data about private messages that you send through the forum. :ps: makes private messages available to senders and their recipients, and also to forum administrators. :ps: stores your posts and other activity as long as your account remains open. # How can I make choices about data collection? You can make choices about how data about you is used on the settings page for your account. When a forum uses access restrictions that vary by category, you can choose who will see your post by choosing the appropriate category. :ps: does not respond to the [Do Not Track HTTP header](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Not_Track). # Where does :ps: store data about me? :ps: stores your data on Hetzner’s servers in Germany. # Does :ps: comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation? Yes! And we’re quite happy about this. :ps: respects privacy rights under [Regulation (EU) 2016/679](http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2016.119.01.0001.01.ENG), the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Information that GDPR requires :ps: to give can be found throughout this privacy notice. So can information about specific rights, like [access](#my-data), [rectification](#change-my-data), [erasure](#change-my-data), [data portability](#my-data), and [objection to automated decision-making](#automation). # Where can I access data about me? You can see your account data at any time by visiting your account page on the forum. Your account page also lists your posts and other activity on the forum. Your account activity page also includes a link to download all of your activity in standard [comma-separated values](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values) format. # How can I change or erase data about me? You can change your account data at any time by visiting the profile settings page for your account. The settings for a particular forum may also allow you to close your account, on the settings page for your account. Closing your account starts a process of erasing or anonymizing :ps: records of data you provided for your account. Forum administrators can also erase and anonymize accounts. Depending on the settings for your particular forum, you may also be able to edit, anonymize, or erase your posts. When you edit posts, :ps: will keep all versions of your posts. Forum administrators can view old versions of posts, and optionally make them visible to other forum visitors. # Does :ps: make automated decisions based on data about me? **:ps: uses data about posts and activity to set trust levels automatically.** Depending on how administrators of your forum configure the forum, the forum may use data about your posts and activity to award you badges and calculate a trust level for your account. Your trust level may affect how you can participate in the forum, such as whether you can upload images, as well as give you access to moderation and management powers in the forum. Your trust level therefore reflects forum administrators’ confidence in you, and their willingness to delegate community management functions, like moderation. If you think your trust level has been set incorrectly, contact an administrator of your forum. They can manually adjust the trust level of your account. # Does :ps: share data about me with others? :ps: shares account data with others as [mentioned in the section about account data](#account-data). :ps: shares data about your posts and other forum activity with others as [mentioned in the section about forum activity data](#activity-data). :ps: does not sell or give information about you to other companies or services. However, :ps: do use services from third parties: the companies behind those services may collect data about you on their own, for their own purposes. Some of these services may be used to collect information about your online activities across different websites. | Service | Privacy Notice | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | [Hetzner Online GMBH](https://hetzner.com) | [https://www.hetzner.com/rechtliches/datenschutz](https://www.hetzner.com/rechtliches/datenschutz) | Hosts :ps: and stores backups. | Other individuals and companies may also reuse data about you that :ps: publishes, such as your posts to public forums. - [How can I contact :ps: about privacy?](#privacy-contact) You can send questions and complaints to: “Petites Singularités” \<[privacy@zoethical.com](mailto:privacy@zoethical.com)\> We also [discuss our Terms of Service](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463), including this Privacy Policy, collectively on this platform. For complaints under the GDPR, European Union users may lodge complaints with their local data protection supervisory authorities. # What if this privacy notice changes? This version of :ps: privacy notice took effect on MONTH, DAY, YEAR. :ps: maintains this privacy policy at [Privacy - petites singularités](https://ps.zoethical.org/privacy). We also [discuss our Terms of Service](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463), including this Privacy Policy, collectively on this platform, in an open and transparent process: all changes are announced there. ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/11 "2018-11-11T18:39:43Z")
The new [privacy policy](https://ps.zoethical.org/privacy) is up, not 15 days after the call, but 6 months later 😊 ---
**Author:** ![XavCC](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/xavcc/32/1217_2.png) [@XavCC](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/XavCC)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 8:52am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/12 "2024-06-07T08:52:07Z")
Can I reuse these TOS for [forum.hack2o.eu](http://forum.hack2o.eu) by adapting them? Or is that not a good idea? ---
**Author:** ![natacha](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/natacha/32/3145_2.png) [@natacha](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/natacha)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 8:53am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/13 "2024-06-07T08:53:52Z")
Certainly you can use them, in fact I am not sure we modified anything from the standard discourse TOS . Updating them for p.s.: is on a long to do list ---
**Author:** ![how](https://ps.zoethical.org/user_avatar/ps.zoethical.org/how/32/2236_2.png) [@how](https://ps.zoethical.org/u/how)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 9:07am UTC](https://ps.zoethical.org/t/improving-our-terms-of-service/463/14 "2024-06-07T09:07:36Z")
Better take the default Discourse ToS that improved over the years, while nobody here seemed to care about this, so they did not evolve.