When users submit content (such as map edits or reports) to Waze, they grant Waze a permanent, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, and commercially unrestricted license to use, copy, modify, distribute, and create derivative works from that content. The license is described as irrevocable and lasts for the duration of intellectual property protection.
This analysis describes what Waze'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
This provision establishes that user-submitted contributions, including map data, incident reports, and other content, are subject to a license that Waze may exercise for commercial purposes without time limit or compensation obligation to the user. The irrevocable and perpetual nature of the license means users cannot withdraw permission for Waze to use previously submitted content even after account deletion.
The updated Terms now establish that you are binding yourself not only to the main Terms of Use but also to Waze's Content Moderation Policy, Community Terms, and Copyright Policy as integral parts of the agreement. This expands the set of rules you must comply with when using the Service. The revised terms also clarify that the Service is intended for users of legal driving age and explicitly describe Waze's advertising model: the Service is free because advertising revenue funds operations, and Waze uses your data to show you targeted ads, with controls available to manage ad personalization preferences.
View change record →Severity downgraded from high to medium, and detailed excerpt now provided clarifying the license scope and purposes.
View full change record →Under this clause, any content a user submits to Waze, including map edits and reports, becomes subject to an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license that authorizes Waze to use that content commercially, sublicense it, and create derivative works from it, with no royalty payable to the user. The agreement states that provision of the service constitutes the sole and sufficient consideration for user contributions.
How other platforms handle this
we may closely review accounts that offer the following services, products, or content: Online trading, day trading tips, and stock market related content
Paid Subscribers can select whether Content is public or private.
If Your Content is prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction where our Services are available, we may remove it even if it is not illegal in your location.
"If your content is protected by intellectual property rights, you grant Waze a license to use, copy, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, modify, and create derivative works based on your content. This license is: worldwide (valid anywhere in the world) non-exclusive (you can license your content to others) royalty-free (there are no monetary fees for this license) transferable (for example, if Waze Mobile Ltd. undergoes a change of control) sublicenseable (for example, Waze may sublicense these rights to other users to allow the Service to work as designed, such as enabling users to make updates or modifications to displayed content) all-purpose, which means Waze can use your content for commercial purposes perpetual, or lasts for as long as your content is protected by intellectual property rights irrevocableExcerpt from Waze's Terms of Use
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates EU copyright law, particularly the InfoSoc Directive and national implementations, which may limit the scope of blanket irrevocable licenses granted by consumers in certain EU member states.
Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.
Buried in Robinhood's customer agreement is broad authority to close your positions, suspend your account, and force arbitration. Here is what it actually says.
Stripe's terms authorize fund reserves, payout withholding, and account termination. Here is what the agreement states and what business owners should review.
Get the research letter
Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean.
This provision establishes that user-submitted contributions, including map data, incident reports, and other content, are subject to a license that Waze may exercise for commercial purposes without time limit or compensation obligation to the user. The irrevocable and perpetual nature of the license means users cannot withdraw permission for Waze to use previously submitted content even after account deletion.
Under this clause, any content a user submits to Waze, including map edits and reports, becomes subject to an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license that authorizes Waze to use that content commercially, sublicense it, and create derivative works from it, with no royalty payable to the user. The agreement states that provision of the service constitutes the sole and sufficient consideration …
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 263 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Waze.