CA-C-002322
Cohere — Cohere Usage Policy
Entity
Date detected
May 24, 2026
Effective date
May 24, 2026
Severity
Direction
Negative
Affected users
all users developers enterprise customers
Taxonomy
Transparency removal
Changes
−38 sentences removed · 1 sentence modified
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Watch Cohere Get alerts when this policy changes.
Watch — Free

Event Summary

Cohere removed 38 sentences from its Usage Policy on May 24, 2026, substantially reducing the document from a detailed acceptable use policy to a minimal stub containing only navigation and heading elements. The previous version included universal requirements prohibiting specific activities such as child exploitation, sexually explicit content involving minors, and defined enforcement mechanisms including restriction, suspension, or termination of access. The updated version retains only document structure and no substantive policy content, meaning Cohere Services users no longer have a posted acceptable use policy to reference or rely upon.

HIGH

Consumer Impact

The updated policy removes all substantive acceptable use requirements that were previously posted and enforceable. Users no longer have a referenced standard defining what conduct is prohibited on the platform. The removal of enforcement procedures means users cannot verify what conduct may trigger access restriction, suspension, or termination. The elimination of the child safety and sexually explicit content prohibitions from the posted policy creates uncertainty about whether these protections remain in effect through other terms or have been abandoned.

Governance Analysis

The complete removal of Cohere's Usage Policy eliminates the primary posted reference document defining prohibited conduct and enforcement procedures. Organizations relying on this policy as part of vendor governance, data processing agreements, or child safety compliance frameworks will need to identify alternative documentation or establish independent usage restrictions. The removal of child safety prohibitions from the public policy creates potential regulatory and reputational risk, particularly under COPPA if Cohere Services are used by or on behalf of minors.

Available Actions

Review your service agreement with Cohere to identify whether usage restrictions are documented in other terms.

If you rely on Cohere Services in compliance-sensitive contexts, audit your own acceptable use policies or data processing agreements to ensure they do not create gaps.

If No Action Is Taken

Users will operate under Cohere Services without a posted acceptable use policy to reference, creating ambiguity about what conduct Cohere prohibits or will enforce against.

If Cohere Services are used by an organization in compliance-regulated contexts, the absence of a posted usage policy may create gaps in that organization's vendor governance documentation.

Key Clauses Affected

Universal Requirements section

Entire section prohibiting specific activities, including child exploitation and sexually explicit content involving minors, has been removed.

Enforcement and access control provisions

Language stating Cohere may restrict, suspend, or terminate access for policy violations has been removed.

Reporting mechanism

Instructions for users to report violations to safety@cohere.com and procedures for in-application reporting have been removed.

Full clause-by-clause analysis available with Compliance.
These clauses may change again. Get alerted when they do. Watch Cohere — Free

This change record describes what was added, removed, or modified in the document. Analysis reflects what the updated agreement states or permits. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology

Evidence Verification

✓ Verified
Previous Version
6a378336939dc282ba5c613e4109653e501afb610fdef634c0718fd7e6692cd7
April 29, 2026 08:11 UTC
✓ Verified
Current Version
23e30e1b4082491490f28973d75dbfd7b9856939f2092a4012d2eaaad1e225a3
May 24, 2026 00:42 UTC
✓ Verified
Change Detected
May 24, 2026 00:42 UTC
Analysis Methodology
✓ Verified
Source Document
https://docs.cohere.com/docs/usage-policy
Citation Record
Entity: Cohere
Document: Cohere Usage Policy
Record ID: CA-C-002322
Captured: 2026-05-24 00:42:42 UTC
URL: https://conductatlas.com/change/2026-05-24-cohere-cohere-usage-policy-2322/
Accessed: May 28, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.

Impact Summary

1
Protection removed
All users Removed

Users no longer have a posted policy explaining what conduct Cohere prohibits or how it enforces conduct violations.

For legal and compliance teams

Institutional Analysis

Assessment

Cohere has deleted its entire Usage Policy, including prohibitions on child exploitation, sexually explicit content involving minors, and enforcement mechanisms. Organizations relying on this policy as part of vendor governance or contractual compliance frameworks will no longer have a posted reference document. The removal may engage compliance obligations under data protection frameworks (GDPR, CCPA) if organizations reference this policy in their own privacy notices or data processing agreements. Organizations using Cohere Services should verify whether usage restrictions exist elsewhere in their service agreement and whether removal of this policy creates gaps in their vendor governance. No effective date for reinstatement or replacement is stated.

Regulatory Exposure

COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, if Cohere Services are marketed to or used by operators directed toward children); GDPR and CCPA (if this policy removal affects how organizations disclose vendor conduct standards in their own privacy notices); FTC Act Section 5 (unfair or deceptive practices, depending on whether removal of publicly posted prohibitions constitutes a material change in conduct terms).

Full compliance analysis

Obligation analysis, escalation trigger, board language, and recommended action.

Monitor $19/mo Compliance $249/mo

Monitor: regulatory citations + obligations. Compliance: full compliance memo.

ConductAtlas provides verified policy intelligence sourced directly from platform documents. All analysis is intended to support, not replace, legal and compliance review. Record CA-C-002322.

Full Changes

See the full side-by-side comparison of every sentence added, removed, and modified.

🔒 Full diff — Monitor

Document Context

Version history → Policy drift analysis → Document page →
Document
Cohere Usage Policy
Entity
Cohere
Captured
May 24, 2026
Source URL
https://docs.cohere.com/docs/usage-policy
More from Cohere
May 2, 2026 Low
Cohere Privacy Policy

Cohere updated its privacy policy on May 2, 2026 to add specific retention timelines and procedures for handling personal information. …

Apr 29, 2026 Medium
Cohere Privacy Policy

Cohere removed 16 sentences from its privacy policy that previously specified data retention practices for different user types and procedures …

Track Cohere policy changes

Get alerted when this policy changes again — including what changed and why it matters.

Prefer a weekly summary instead?

Get the biggest policy changes across 320+ platforms every Sunday.