international terms-of-service data-ownership data-storage data-protection
Is it legal for Grammarly to read, share and store forever all my emails?
<p>I have just noticed the following paragraph in Grammarly <a href="https://www.grammarly.com/terms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Terms and Conditions</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>By uploading or entering any User Content, you give Grammarly (and
those it works with) a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free and
fully-paid, transferable and sublicensable, perpetual, and irrevocable
license to copy, store and use your User Content in connection with
the provision of the Software and the Services and to improve the
algorithms underlying the Software and the Services.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Is it legal for Grammarly to read all my emails, share them with all their partners and store them forever without the right to having them deleted?</p>
<p>I know I have agreed to the Terms and Conditions when singing up, but it seems like they have crossed the line of common sense usage of my personal data.</p>

<h2>Yes it is legal</h2>

<p>In fact, most online content hosts have similar provisions. For example:</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/static?gl=CA&amp;template=terms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">You Tube</a></strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>For clarity, you retain all of your ownership rights in your Content. However, by submitting Content to YouTube, you hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and YouTube's (and its successors' and affiliates') business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels. You also hereby grant each user of the Service a non-exclusive license to access your Content through the Service, and to use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform such Content as permitted through the functionality of the Service and under these Terms of Service. The above licenses granted by you in video Content you submit to the Service terminate within a commercially reasonable time after you remove or delete your videos from the Service. You understand and agree, however, that YouTube may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of your videos that have been removed or deleted. The above licenses granted by you in user comments you submit are perpetual and irrevocable.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/tos?lang=en#usContent" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Twitter</a></strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed). This license authorizes us to make your Content available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same. You agree that this license includes the right for Twitter to provide, promote, and improve the Services and to make Content submitted to or through the Services available to other companies, organizations or individuals for the syndication, broadcast, distribution, promotion or publication of such Content on other media and services, subject to our terms and conditions for such Content use. Such additional uses by Twitter, or other companies, organizations or individuals, may be made with no compensation paid to you with respect to the Content that you submit, post, transmit or otherwise make available through the Services.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>And, of course, <a href="http://stackexchange.com/legal/terms-of-service">Stack Exchange</a></strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You agree that all Subscriber Content that You contribute to the Network is perpetually and irrevocably licensed to Stack Exchange under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license. You grant Stack Exchange the perpetual and irrevocable right and license to use, copy, cache, publish, display, distribute, modify, create derivative works and store such Subscriber Content and, except as otherwise set forth herein, to allow others to do so in any medium now known or hereinafter developed (“Content License”) in order to provide the Services, even if such Subscriber Content has been contributed and subsequently removed by You.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>However, local laws may limit their ability to use the material.</strong></p>

<p>For example, an EU citizen's <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/files/factsheets/factsheet_data_protection_en.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right to be Forgotten</a> may give them the right to demand erasure of information that meets the requirements of the directive.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>....but it seems like they have crossed the line of common sense usage
  of my personal data.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Common sense doesn't have anything to do with it. You entered into a legally binding contract by agreeing to the terms of service (TOS). That TOS says what it says: <em>...nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free and fully-paid, transferable and sublicensable, perpetual, and irrevocable license...</em></p>

<p>Pertaining to the US, as long as the TOS meets the basic requirements of a contract, then it is a binding contract. See <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/6263/what-is-a-contract-and-what-is-required-for-them-to-be-valid">What is a contract and what is required for them to be valid?</a> I'm sure their lawyers have vetted the TOS as a contract that can withstand legal scrutiny. And it is a legal contract if you meet the requirements of being able to enter into a contract, i.e., your age, legal capacity, your international location, etc.</p>

<p>There will be nations other than the US where laws may nullify some/all of the TOS regarding the data use and storage. Other LE users can add answers about other countries and their laws on contracts, data storage, privacy and consumer protections.</p>

<p>You have one option if you don't like the TOS, and that is to stop using the service. Delete as much content as you can and close your account; but whatever content you have uploaded is now licensed to them.</p>

<p>And, of course, your question - and my answer - are licensed in a similar way here on Stack Exchange:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You agree that all Subscriber Content that You contribute to the
  Network is perpetually and irrevocably licensed to Stack Exchange
  under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license. You grant
  Stack Exchange the perpetual and irrevocable right and license to use,
  copy, cache, publish, display, distribute, modify, create derivative
  works and store such Subscriber Content and, except as otherwise set
  forth herein, to allow others to do so in any medium now known or
  hereinafter developed (“Content License”) in order to provide the
  Services, even if such Subscriber Content has been contributed and
  subsequently removed by You.
  <a href="http://stackexchange.com/legal/terms-of-service">http://stackexchange.com/legal/terms-of-service</a></p>
</blockquote>
