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

License to Substack for Operating Platform

High confidence Common · 249 of 343 platforms
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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)

Generated by a model from the captured document; not read by a person

The license permits Substack to alter and reproduce user Posts—not merely display them—which means Substack can change the form or presentation of user content as part of platform operations.

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Interpretive note: The phrase 'otherwise act with respect to your Posts' is broad and its full scope is not defined in this excerpt. The canonical claim reproduces the language without interpreting that phrase beyond what is stated.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Oct 7, 2026

The updated terms establish new content moderation procedures, including use of automated detection tools (hash-matching for CSAM, keyword filtering, direct message scanning) followed by human review before enforcement action, except where immediate action is necessary to prevent serious harm. Substack will notify users when content is removed or accounts are suspended for policy or safety reasons, unless notification would compromise an investigation or risk harm. Users may appeal content removal or account restrictions by contacting tos@substackinc.com, with Substack committing to respond within 3 business days. Beginning December 1, 2026, local VAT, GST, sales, or use tax will be added to Paid Subscription purchase prices, collected by Substack and remitted to applicable taxing authorities where its service provider is able to do so. You can report content violations using the report tool on each post or profile page, and appeal content moderation decisions by contacting the support email address.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Generated by a model from the captured document; not read by a person

Users permit Substack to translate, modify, reproduce, and otherwise act on their Posts for the purposes of providing and improving the platform and notifying users about new features.

How other platforms handle this

Teladoc

Teladoc Health grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, revocable, non-transferable license to use the Platforms in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

Credit Karma

The license granted to you for the App is a limited, non-transferable license to use the App on Mac product that you own or control and as permitted by the Usage Rules that are part of the terms of service in the Mac App Store.

Anyscale

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Customer hereby grants to Anyscale and its Affiliates a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free right and license to process the Customer Property solely to the extent necessary to provide the Anyscale Services...

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
You hereby grant Substack a license to translate, modify, reproduce, and otherwise act with respect to your Posts to enable us to provide, improve, and notify you about new features within Substack.

Excerpt from Substack's Terms of Use

Provision details

Document information
Document
Substack Terms of Use
Entity
Substack
Date stated by the document
Oct. 6, 2026
As printed in Substack’s text (version CA-V-007372), not a ConductAtlas date.
Tracking information
First captured by ConductAtlas
April 19, 2026
Text quoted from version
CA-V-004272, captured June 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-029269
Document ID
CA-D-000177
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Extracted-text SHA-256 (version CA-V-004272; extractor version not recorded, may not reproduce today)
588554f9b85730eeac17d0ff294c8724bc6dcb53a824c540bd4cd2eec232a0b8
Analysis generated
May 21, 2026 01:31 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Excerpt found in version CA-V-004272, captured June 28, 2026 (checked Oct. 5, 2026)
Not the current version. The document's current version is CA-V-007372, captured Oct. 7, 2026; this clause has not been re-checked against it.
Citation Record
Entity: Substack
Document: Substack Terms of Use
Record ID: CA-P-029269
Version: CA-V-004272
Captured: 2026-06-28 00:24:17 UTC
SHA-256: 588554f9b85730ee…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/substack/substack-terms-of-use/provision/CA-P-029269/license-to-substack-for-operating-platform/
Accessed: Oct. 23, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Substack's License to Substack for Operating Platform clause do?

The license permits Substack to alter and reproduce user Posts—not merely display them—which means Substack can change the form or presentation of user content as part of platform operations.

How does this clause affect you?

Users permit Substack to translate, modify, reproduce, and otherwise act on their Posts for the purposes of providing and improving the platform and notifying users about new features.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 249 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.