What can I do about this clause?

{'method': 'IN_APP', 'recipient': 'https://slack.com/help/articles/201658943-Export-your-workspace-data', 'difficulty': 'MODERATE', 'action_type': 'EXPORT_DATA', 'instructions': 'Workspace administrators can export Customer Data by navigating to the workspace admin panel and selecting the data export option. Enterprise Grid customers can use the Slack Discovery API for more comprehensive exports.', 'deadline_days': None, 'deadline_hours': None}

Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'The FTC has jurisdiction over data practices that exceed user reasonable expectations under Section 5 of the FTC Act, including broad data licensing arrangements.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Customer Data Ownership and Slack Usage Rights clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Customer Data Ownership and Slack Usage Rights — Slack

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What it is

Your organization owns the data you put into Slack, but you are granting Slack a broad license to access, copy, and use that data to run and improve its services.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

While Customer Data ownership remains with the organization, the broad license granted to Slack to copy, distribute, and process that data — including for service improvement — means employees' messages and files are accessible to Slack for a wide range of operational purposes.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.

Export Your Data

Workspace administrators can export Customer Data by navigating to the workspace admin panel and selecting the data export option. Enterprise Grid customers can use the Slack Discovery API for more comprehensive exports.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Customer Data Ownership and Slack Usage Rights and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

The license granted to Slack is broad and includes the right to copy and distribute Customer Data, which has implications for data sovereignty, confidentiality, and compliance with regulations that restrict where and how data can be processed.

View original clause language

As between Slack and Customer, Customer retains all right, title and interest in and to the Customer Data. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Customer grants Slack a worldwide, limited-term license to access, use, process, copy, distribute, perform, export and display Customer Data, only as necessary to provide, maintain, and improve the Services, or as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or by Customer.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages GDPR Article 28 (processor obligations and the requirement for written data processing instructions), Article 46 (international transfer mechanisms where data is copied to Slack's global infrastructure), and CCPA §1798.140(ag) (service provider use restrictions). The scope of 'improve the Services' as a permitted use purpose requires careful scrutiny against GDPR's purpose limitation principle (Art. 5(1)(b)).

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Applicable agencies

FTC

The FTC has jurisdiction over data practices that exceed user reasonable expectations under Section 5 of the FTC Act, including broad data licensing arrangements.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

Slack Terms of Service

Entity

Slack

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 27, 2026

Last verified

April 27, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-003512

Document ID

CA-D-00191

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://slack.com/terms-of-service

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

967b1612d6d7230c93161d4185eac551b3dd9e7e81636161b14a850051644994

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Slack | Document: Slack Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-003512
Captured: 2026-04-27 14:04:01 UTC | SHA-256: 967b1612d6d7230c…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/slack/slack-terms-of-service/customer-data-ownership-and-slack-usage-rights/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Customer Data Ownership and Slack Usage Rights