The policy lists specific types of applications and outputs that developers are never permitted to build or generate using Cohere's models, including content facilitating violence, hate speech targeting protected groups, fraud, and privacy violations.
This analysis describes what Cohere's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes the outer boundary of permissible use and, because it is framed as a strict prohibition, violation would constitute a per se breach of the Terms of Service regardless of other approvals obtained.
Interpretive note: Some prohibited categories such as 'privacy violations' and 'disinformation' require contextual interpretation and may not be self-evidently applicable in all edge cases.
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.
View change record →End users of Cohere-powered applications are protected by these prohibitions, which bar developers from using the models to generate content that facilitates violence against individuals, enables fraud targeting consumers, or produces material that violates personal privacy.
How other platforms handle this
Users may not use ElevenLabs' platform to generate voice content for the purpose of committing fraud, including financial fraud, identity theft, or unauthorized impersonation for financial gain.
You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities: (i) copying, distributing, or disclosing any part of the Service in any medium, including without limitation by any automated or non-automated 'scraping'; (ii) using any automated system, including without limitation 'robots,' 's...
You may not use, or facilitate or allow others to use, the Services or AWS Site: in a way that violates any applicable law or regulation; to engage in, promote, facilitate or encourage illegal activity; to threaten, incite, promote, or actively encourage violence, terrorism, other serious harm; or i...
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"Certain use cases, such as violence, hate speech, fraud, and privacy violations, are strictly prohibited.— Excerpt from Cohere's Cohere Usage Policy
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The prohibition on fraud-enabling applications engages with the FTC Act's prohibition on unfair or deceptive acts or practices. The prohibition on privacy violations engages with GDPR, CCPA, and sector-specific privacy laws. The prohibition on content targeting minors inappropriately engages with COPPA. The EU AI Act explicitly prohibits certain AI applications including manipulation of vulnerable groups and real-time biometric surveillance, which aligns with several of the prohibited categories in this provision. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The categorical nature of these prohibitions creates clear contractual liability for developers who deploy within prohibited categories. However, some prohibited categories, such as 'privacy violations' and 'disinformation,' involve factual and contextual determinations that may not always be clear-cut, creating interpretive uncertainty in edge cases. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU developers face the highest exposure given the EU AI Act's overlapping prohibitions. Illinois developers building applications involving biometric data should consider Illinois BIPA. Health-related prohibited uses engage HIPAA where covered entities or business associates are involved. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations that license or resell Cohere-powered capabilities to downstream customers should include equivalent prohibited use restrictions in their own customer agreements to maintain compliance with this provision and avoid upstream liability. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should map the prohibited use categories against their product roadmap and any third-party integrations to identify potential conflicts. Products in ambiguous categories should be reviewed against the special-approval list before deployment.
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This provision establishes the outer boundary of permissible use and, because it is framed as a strict prohibition, violation would constitute a per se breach of the Terms of Service regardless of other approvals obtained.
End users of Cohere-powered applications are protected by these prohibitions, which bar developers from using the models to generate content that facilitates violence against individuals, enables fraud targeting consumers, or produces material that violates personal privacy.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cohere.