Azure Terms

Microsoft Azure does not operate under one set of terms — the rules that govern your use depend on how you signed up, and key obligations around data, privacy, and uptime are spread across several separate documents you must consult independently. If you use Preview or beta features, your privacy protections may be reduced compared to standard services. Users in China are in a relationship with 21Vianet, not Microsoft, under entirely separate terms.

This document establishes that use of Microsoft Azure is governed not by a single uniform agreement but by the specific agreement under which a customer obtained the services — either the Microsoft Customer Agreement, the Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement, or a Commercial Licensing Program agreement such as an Enterprise Agreement, with users lacking a subscription subject to the Microsoft Terms of Use. Substantive obligations for data processing and security of Customer Data and Personal Data are delegated to a separate Data Protection Addendum binding both parties. Privacy and security commitments, availability terms, and use restrictions are further distributed across the Product Terms, Service Level Agreements, Microsoft Privacy Statement, and, for pre-release features, the Preview Supplemental Terms — which may specify lesser or different privacy measures than those applicable to generally available services. Ancillary services, software, and content may carry additional or different terms, and Azure in China is a distinct service sold and operated by 21Vianet under its own terms.

The agreement that governs your Azure use — and the rights and protections it provides — depends on how you obtained the service: online purchasers are covered by the Microsoft Customer Agreement or Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement, enterprise purchasers by their Commercial Licensing Program agreement, and users without a subscription by the Microsoft Terms of Use. Data processing and security practices are set out in the Data Protection Addendum, and personal data processing practices are explained in the Microsoft Privacy Statement — both are separate documents from the main Azure agreement. If you use any Preview or beta features, the Preview Supplemental Terms may specify lesser or different privacy measures than those that apply to generally available services, which is a concrete reduction in protections you should review before using those features.