Users are required to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Medium and its officers, directors, agents, partners, and employees against claims arising from user violations of third-party rights or law, and to pay all associated fees, costs, and attorneys' fees. Medium retains sole control over the defense or settlement of any such third-party claims.
This analysis describes what Medium'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
Users bear financial responsibility for defending Medium and associated individuals against a broad range of legal claims, demands, and costs.
Interpretive note: The excerpt contains an ellipsis indicating omitted language, which may include conditions, triggers, or qualifications governing when the indemnification obligation arises. Confidence is medium because the full scope of the indemnification clause cannot be verified from the excerpt alone.
The updated terms establish that Medium may stop providing the Services or any of its features within its sole discretion. The prior language focused on subscription account sign-up mechanics; the new provision creates an explicit contractual reservation allowing Medium to discontinue platform features or the entire service without conditions tied to a specific event or timeline. The terms do not specify advance notice requirements, transition periods, or user remedies if the service is discontinued.
View change record →The updated terms expand a data collection warranty to apply to all personal information users provide to Medium, not limited to newsletter editor submissions. Users now represent and warrant that any personal information they submit has been lawfully collected and that all required notices and consents were obtained before collection. This means the warranty applies whether data is provided through newsletters, account profiles, submissions, or other Medium features. If a user provides personal information collected without proper notice or consent, they may be in breach of this representation.
View change record →Narrowed scope to violations/misappropriation/infringement of others' rights rather than all uses of Services, added explicit reference to IP and privacy rights, included "partners" in covered parties, and added "to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law" qualifier.
View full change record →Under this clause, users are required to pay all costs, including attorneys' fees, associated with defending Medium Parties against third-party claims related to user conduct, and cannot control the defense or settlement strategy for such claims. The agreement qualifies this obligation with 'to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.'
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"You will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Medium, and our officers, directors, agents, partners and employees...from and against any losses, liabilities, claims, demands, damages, expenses or costs...Excerpt from Medium's Terms of Service
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Broad user indemnification clauses in consumer agreements may be subject to scrutiny under state consumer protection statutes and may be unenforceable to the extent they conflict with consumer protection frameworks.
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Users bear financial responsibility for defending Medium and associated individuals against a broad range of legal claims, demands, and costs.
Under this clause, users are required to pay all costs, including attorneys' fees, associated with defending Medium Parties against third-party claims related to user conduct, and cannot control the defense or settlement strategy for such claims. The agreement qualifies this obligation with 'to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.'
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 228 platforms. See the full comparison.
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