Provision record
Substack · Substack Terms of Use · View original document ↗

Unilateral Terms Modification

Medium severity High confidence Explicit document language Common · 296 of 352 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Substack can change these Terms at any time, and continuing to use the platform after notice is posted counts as your acceptance of the new Terms. Your only alternative is to stop using Substack.

This analysis describes what Substack'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)

This clause means the rights and obligations you agreed to when you first signed up can change, and the notice mechanism (which may be a website notice rather than a direct email) may not reliably bring changes to your attention before they take effect.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
4
Months Monitored
May 9, 2026
First Seen
May 20, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 4187 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Substack can update its Terms at any time with notice delivered by website posting, email, or other unspecified means. Continued platform use constitutes acceptance, meaning users who miss a notice may inadvertently agree to materially different terms. Users who disagree with changes must stop using the service, with no option to negotiate or maintain prior terms.

How other platforms handle this

ZipRecruiter Medium

You may give us your Identity Data, Contact Data, Financial Data, Profile Data, and other information by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, e-mail or otherwise.

NVIDIA NIM Medium

telemetry information collected includes: (i) microservice settings, (ii) usage data and (iii) hardware environment.

Glassdoor Medium

Some of our ad partners may also enable us to collect similar data directly from their website or app by integrating our or our affiliates' advertising technology.

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We reserve the right to change the Terms at any time, but if we do, we will bring it to your attention by placing a notice on the website, by sending you an email, and/or by some other means. If you don't agree with the new Terms, you are free to reject them; unfortunately, that means you will no longer be able to use Substack. If you use Substack in any way after a change to the Terms is effective and notice has been provided, that means you agree to all of the changes.

Excerpt from Substack's Terms of Use

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Unilateral contract modification clauses in consumer agreements engage the FTC Act's unfair or deceptive practices standards, as well as EU Unfair Contract Terms Directive provisions.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
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
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Substack Terms of Use
Entity
Substack
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 9, 2026
Last verified
May 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-007353
Document ID
CA-D-00177
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
41416b34172df3713d5b8670e8d77adf1364d7996add1e774596900f50b939ae
Analysis generated
May 9, 2026 17:50 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Substack
Document: Substack Terms of Use
Record ID: CA-P-007353
Captured: 2026-05-09 17:50:51 UTC
SHA-256: 41416b34172df371…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/substack/substack-terms-of-use/provision/CA-P-007353/unilateral-terms-modification/
Accessed: Sept. 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Related Analysis

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Substack's Unilateral Terms Modification clause do?

This clause means the rights and obligations you agreed to when you first signed up can change, and the notice mechanism (which may be a website notice rather than a direct email) may not reliably bring changes to your attention before they take effect.

How does this clause affect you?

Substack can update its Terms at any time with notice delivered by website posting, email, or other unspecified means. Continued platform use constitutes acceptance, meaning users who miss a notice may inadvertently agree to materially different terms. Users who disagree with changes must stop using the service, with no option to negotiate or maintain prior terms.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 296 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Substack?

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