twitter terms of service

Twitter Terms of Service

Policy Primer:

An introduction to Twitter’s Terms of Service & Privacy Policy

Twitter is an online real-time instant messaging service

Often referred to as a micro-blogging service

Send small messages and “speak your mind”

Send 140 character messages to your friends or followers PCs, Laptops & Mobile Phones

You can broadcast Tweets (messages) to public or private groups

What is Twitter ?

Send personalised / private messages to individuals or selected groups

Follow the postings of others (a Follower)

Followers can reply to Tweets or forward these messages to others

Remember…!!

Whatever you write will become public..even if you think it’s private!

What is Twitter ?

Twitter’s legal documents are contained on the www.twitter.com website include:

Terms of Service http://twitter.com/tos

Privacy Policy http://twitter.com/privacy

Other Twitter Rules & Must Read Instructions The Twitter Rules http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/18311

Law Enforcement Guidelines http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/41949

API Terms of Service http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms

Twitter Basics http://support.twitter.com/groups/31-twitter-basics

Report a Violation Page http://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-a-violation

Twitter Legal Documents

Twitter Registration Page

https://twitter.com/signup

By clicking “Create my account”, you are agreeing to Twitter’s Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and other rules of use

Basic Terms By registering you are forming a contract with Twitter

(under laws of United States or other applicable jurisdictions),

You accepting the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy when pressing the “Create my account” button.

Twitter is free to change or stop its services without prior notice to you.

Twitter has the right change the limits on storage or usage without prior notice to you.

Twitter has the right to include advertisements on its pages or what’s presented to you.


Privacy Section Twitter is allowed to send you service

announcements even though you’ve un-subscribed to e-mails. These are not considered as SPAM.

You can opt-out from newsletters, follower e-mails by changing your Notices in the Settings tab.

There is a separate Privacy Policy web page which you must refer to. http://twitter.com/privacy


Passwords Twitter recommends strong passwords

Twitter is not responsible for your loss or damage if your password is compromised

Content on the Services You are responsible for the Content you post

Twitter is not responsible for Content posted, this is at the readers risk. Offensive, harmful, inaccurate, mislabelled, deceptive content or

links to viruses are at the readers risk.

Twitter not liable for any loss or damage.

Twitter may remove content at its discretion.


Your Rights You retain the right to any Content you submit

You grant Twitter a sub-licence to: Use or modify your Content The right to broadcast this content worldwide And in any and all distribution methods available

now or in the future.

You allow Twitter & other companies to publish your Content and for others to read it.


Your Content still remains your property, you own the Content.

You are responsible for ensuring copyright of your Content.

Twitter allows you to use of their software and message broadcasting service: Provided you conform to the Terms of Service,

Privacy and other rules of use.


Twitter Rights The Twitter website and Services (excluding your

Content) is the property of Twitter Inc.

The Twitter website code, images and logos belong to Twitter You are not allowed to use, copy or claim ownership.

Any great ideas or suggestions on how to improve the service are presented without obligation. Twitter will not reward you for a great idea or new invention.


Restrictions on Content and Use of the Services Twitter reserves the right remove Content or close your

account.

Twitter has the right to monitor your content.

Twitter has the right to make your Content available to law enforcement agencies and governments.

Twitter provides an Application Programming Interface (API).

API allows programmers to create applications (to send & receive Tweets) . See API Terms of Service. http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms


Twitter claims not to release “personally identifiable” information to third parties. See Privacy Policy. http://twitter.com/privacy

No hacking, tampering, deceptive sending, spamming, virus uploading or denial of service allowed by users.


Copyright Policy Twitter recognises the intellectual property rights of

users

Will respond to alleged copyright infringements

Twitter reserves the right to remove any alleged infringing content without prior notice.

The Services are Available “AS-IS” The Twitter make no guarantees as to the reliability or

operation of their services

Not responsible for loss of data or damage to your computer as a result of using the service.


Links Twitter is not responsible for links, or content on

other websites, services or third party applications.

Twitter does not endorse content on any other site

Users acknowledge their responsibility for sending Followers to other websites

Users assume the risk from using third party sites.


Limitation of Liability Twitter is not liable for any loss or damage caused

as a result of using their services

In some countries the exclusion of warranties may not be enforceable

If some part of the Terms of Service is not enforceable, it does not void the remainder of the Terms.

Laws of California and United States will apply.


Personal – Identifiable Information Name, User Name, E-Mail Address, Location,

Password, Photo, Bio, Mobile Phone Number, IP Address, browser type & version. http://twitter.com/privacy

Don’t enable Current Location, if away from home might get burgled.

Twitter Privacy Policy

Tracking & Data Logging Twitter saves and tracks what you say (Tweet) and to who.

It also tracks who you follow, Retweet, reply & message.

Twitter targets advertising based on what you say and follow / view and what you Retweet.

Twitter uses cookies to track IP address, screen visits and session status.

Without cookies enabled you can’t login.

Twitter also follows our usage with various tools such as Google Analytics.


Twitter claims NOT to release private information, except in the following cases:

When you consent or use a third party applications to access Twitter (Tweetdeck etc)

To other undescribed service providers (who & what?)

The law agencies (big brother terrorist prevention ?)

To a new owner of Twitter (then what will they do with it?)

Non-Private or aggregated data (questionable?)


Children Policy Children under 13 are not allowed to use Twitter

Pervious versions Old Privacy Policies & Terms of Service are

maintained on the site. (Good, history of changes important)


Private Accounts become public This has occurred using third party applications

http://techcrunch.com/2008/04/23/privacy-disaster-at-twitter-direct-messages-exposed/

Private Accounts can be hacked YouTube has several examples how to hack Private

Accounts. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hacking+twitter+accounts&aq=0

Malicious links to viruses & worms allow malware, Trojans & phishing http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2010/09/twitter_bug_attacks_the_intern.htmlhttp://blog.twitter.com/2010/02/avoid-phishing-scams.html

Private Tweets can be forwarded to Followers of Followers

Private Accounts not so Private

The Twitter Rules http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/18311

Details what not to do on Twitter including SPAM, content restrictions

Law Enforcement Guidelines http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/41949

Twitter requires a subpoena, court order, or other valid legal process to disclose information about our users.

API Terms of Service http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms

This is for software developers when developing applications that interact or use the Twitter service

Twitter Help Center http://support.twitter.com/

◦ A good place to start before you start Tweeting

Twitter Basics http://support.twitter.com/groups/31-twitter-basics

Extensive list of information on how to use Twitter and what not to do

Report a Violation Page http://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-a-violation

Worth reading before using Twitter, informs what’s not acceptable

Other Must Read Terms & Rules

ReferencesGoogle Analytics. (2010). Google.com Retrieved October, 12, 2010, from http://www.google.com/analytics/

Twitter. (2009a). Guideline for Law Enforcement. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 13, 2010, from http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/41949

Twitter. (2009b). The Twitter Rules. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 12, 2010, from http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/18311

Twitter. (2010a). API Terms of Service. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 12, 2010, from http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms

Twitter. (2010b). Privacy Policy. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 20, 2010, from http://twitter.com/privacy

Twitter. (2010c). Report a Violation. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 16, 2010, from http://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-a-violation

Twitter. (2010d). Terms of Service. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 20, 2010, from http://twitter.com/tos

Twitter. (2010e). Twitter Help Center. Twitter.com Retrieved October, 12, 2010, from http://support.twitter.com/

http://www.google.com/analytics/

http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/41949

http://twitter.zendesk.com/forums/26257/entries/18311

http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms

http://twitter.com/privacy

http://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-a-violation

http://twitter.com/tos

http://support.twitter.com/

twitter terms of service

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