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Users grant Duolingo a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, distribute, publicly display, and create derivative works from any content submitted to the Service. The agreement states this license cannot be terminated by the user after submission.
This analysis describes what Duolingo'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 that the content license granted upon submission is permanent and non-terminable by the user, covering a broad range of permitted uses including creation of derivative works and multi-tier sublicensing. The irrevocable nature of the license persists regardless of account termination or deletion.
The agreement states that once content such as reviews, translations, flashcards, or audio clips is submitted to the Service, the user cannot terminate the license granted to Duolingo. Duolingo retains the right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, and sublicense that content through multiple tiers indefinitely.
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"As a condition of submitting any ratings, reviews, information, data, text, photographs, audio clips, audiovisual works, translations, flashcards, or other materials on the Service (collectively, "Content"), you hereby grant to Duolingo a full-paid, royalty free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, nonexclusive, transferable, and sublicensable license to use, reproduce, copy, adapt, modify, merge, distribute, publicly display, and create derivative works from the Content; incorporate the Content into other works; and sublicense through multiple tiers the Content. You acknowledge that this license cannot be terminated by you once your Content is submitted to the Service.Excerpt from Duolingo's Terms of Service
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Where submitted content constitutes personal data, GDPR Article 17 right to erasure may create tension with the irrevocable nature of the license asserted in this clause; the document's assertion that the license cannot be terminated does not necessarily override applicable data protection law in the EU. The FTC's jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive practices is relevant to the clarity of this disclosure at point of content submission. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The irrevocability and multi-tier sublicensability of the license are terms with long-term commercial implications for users who submit substantial content. The provision covers a broad category of content types including audio clips and audiovisual works, which may implicate biometric or voice data considerations in certain jurisdictions. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU users retain GDPR rights that may limit the practical enforceability of the irrevocability assertion where content constitutes personal data. Illinois BIPA may be relevant if audio clips or other biometric identifiers are submitted. California users may have CCPA rights regarding personal information embedded in submitted content. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: The multi-tier sublicensing right means Duolingo may pass content usage rights to third-party partners or licensees without user notification. Procurement teams assessing Duolingo for enterprise deployment should evaluate whether employee-submitted content could be sublicensed in ways inconsistent with organizational confidentiality policies. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should assess whether the disclosure of irrevocability at the point of content submission is sufficiently prominent to satisfy informed consent standards under applicable consumer protection frameworks. Data mapping reviews should account for submitted content categories that may overlap with personal or sensitive data.
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This provision establishes that the content license granted upon submission is permanent and non-terminable by the user, covering a broad range of permitted uses including creation of derivative works and multi-tier sublicensing. The irrevocable nature of the license persists regardless of account termination or deletion.
The agreement states that once content such as reviews, translations, flashcards, or audio clips is submitted to the Service, the user cannot terminate the license granted to Duolingo. Duolingo retains the right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, and sublicense that content through multiple tiers indefinitely.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Duolingo.