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
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.
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You will not access or attempt to access the Web Services through any automated means, including scripts or web crawlers, except through APIs or other interfaces specifically provided for this purpose.
make calls through the API that exceed limits on the number and frequency of such calls or take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately heavy load on the API or the Services...
develop or use any applications, except those applications provided by Wyze, that interact with our Products or Services without our prior written consent
"Decompiles, reverse engineers, or otherwise attempts to obtain the source code or underlying ideas or information of or relating to Substack.Excerpt from Substack's Terms of Use
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The clause states: “Decompiles, reverse engineers, or otherwise attempts to obtain the source code or underlying ideas or information of or relating to Substack.”
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 102 platforms. See the full comparison.
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