Signal · Signal Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Unilateral Terms Modification

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 63 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Signal can change these terms at any time, and simply continuing to use the app counts as your agreement to the new terms.

This analysis describes what Signal'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

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

Signal is not required to notify you directly when terms change; updating the 'Last Modified' date is the only specified notice mechanism, meaning material changes could take effect without you being explicitly informed.

Interpretive note: GDPR and EU consumer protection law may require more affirmative notice mechanisms than a 'Last Modified' date update; enforceability of deemed-acceptance by continued use varies by jurisdiction.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Signal can modify its terms without direct notice to users; continued use of the app following any update constitutes acceptance of the new terms, which means users who do not regularly check the terms page may unknowingly agree to changed conditions.

How other platforms handle this

Target Medium

Target reserves the right to change these Terms at any time. We will post notification of changes to these Terms on this page. Your continued use of the Target Services after any changes to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

GitHub Medium

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to amend these Terms of Service at any time and will update these Terms of Service in the event of any such amendments. We will notify our Users of material changes to this Agreement, such as price changes, at least 30 days prior to the change taking eff...

Uber Medium

Uber reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions of these Terms or its policies relating to the Services at any time, effective upon posting of an updated version of these Terms on the Services. You should regularly review these Terms, as your continued use of the Services after any such c...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Signal may update the Terms from time to time. When we update our Terms, we will update the 'Last Modified' date associated with the updated Terms. Your continued use of our Services confirms your acceptance of our updated Terms and supersedes any prior Terms.

— Excerpt from Signal's Signal Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Unilateral modification clauses are common in consumer software agreements but attract scrutiny under GDPR (which requires clear notice of material changes to privacy practices), CCPA, and consumer protection laws in multiple jurisdictions. The EU's Unfair Contract Terms Directive may limit the enforceability of modification clauses that do not provide adequate consumer notice. The FTC has historically challenged modification practices that allow material changes without meaningful consumer notice. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The absence of a direct notification obligation (email, in-app notification) for material changes is a notable gap relative to best practice. GDPR Articles 13 and 14 require proactive notice of material changes to privacy practices; a 'Last Modified' date update alone may be insufficient to satisfy this standard for EU users. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA and UK users have heightened protections requiring affirmative notice of material changes to data processing practices. California's consumer protection framework also creates exposure where material changes are made without adequate notice. Jurisdictions with mandatory cooling-off periods for consumer contract changes create additional compliance obligations. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise deployments should establish internal monitoring processes for Signal terms changes, as the agreement places the burden of tracking modifications on the user. Vendor management programs should include periodic review of Signal's published terms. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should establish a review cadence for Signal's terms page, particularly given that the policy was last updated in May 2018 and any future material change could take effect with only a date update as notice. GDPR compliance teams should assess whether this mechanism satisfies the proactive notice requirements of Articles 13 and 14 for EU-facing deployments.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC scrutinizes unilateral modification clauses and inadequate notice practices as potentially unfair or deceptive under the FTC Act.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
ePrivacy Directive
European Union
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Signal Privacy Policy
Entity
Signal
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003041
Document ID
CA-D-00305
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
c987bd00ea1fa41c8839b08b6e171831f324f37a5caf9a73223693d82c3902da
Analysis generated
April 18, 2026 11:58 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Signal
Document: Signal Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-003041
Captured: 2026-04-18 11:58:17 UTC
SHA-256: c987bd00ea1fa41c…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/signal/signal-privacy-policy/unilateral-terms-modification/
Accessed: June 19, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Signal's Unilateral Terms Modification clause do?

Signal is not required to notify you directly when terms change; updating the 'Last Modified' date is the only specified notice mechanism, meaning material changes could take effect without you being explicitly informed.

How does this clause affect you?

Signal can modify its terms without direct notice to users; continued use of the app following any update constitutes acceptance of the new terms, which means users who do not regularly check the terms page may unknowingly agree to changed conditions.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 63 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Signal?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Signal.