Pinterest terms of service, explained in plain English

Pinterest takes a broad license to the content you pin and tracks your activity across the web for ad targeting. Disputes are subject to arbitration in many regions.

🚨 Key things to watch out for

The clauses that could affect you the most. Read these even if you skip everything else.

You grant Pinterest an extraordinarily broad, royalty-free license to use, modify, monetize, and create derivative works from everything you post — with zero compensation to you.

3-b

Your maximum legal recovery from Pinterest is capped at just $100, no matter how serious the harm.

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📋 Every clause, explained

Browse what the terms actually say — filter by severity or by topic.

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Showing 19 clauses

3-bHow Pinterest and Other Users Can Use Your Content2 clauses

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Extremely broad content license

📄Claims your content

3-A

💬 When you post anything on Pinterest, you give Pinterest and all other users a free, worldwide license to do almost anything with your content — including modifying it, creating derivative works, and even monetizing it — without owing you anything.

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“By posting User Content, users grant Pinterest and its users a "non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide license to use, store, publicly perform or display, reproduce, save, modify, create derivative works, monetize, download, translate and distribute" the content.”

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No compensation for content monetization

📄Claims your content

3-B

💬 Pinterest can make money from your content (e.g., through ads or other monetization) and you will not receive a single penny from it.

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“Users receive no compensation or revenue share from content monetization.”

3-cHow Long Pinterest Keeps Your Content1 clause

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Content retained after deletion

🗄️Data retention

3-A

💬 Even after you delete your account or remove your content, Pinterest can keep copies of it for backup or auditing. And if anyone else shared or saved your content, those copies can stay around forever.

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“After account termination or content removal, Pinterest may retain User Content for "backup, archival, or audit purposes." Copies shared with others may persist indefinitely.”

3-dFeedback You Provide1 clause

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Feedback used without compensation or confidentiality

📄Claims your content

3-A

💬 If you give Pinterest feedback or suggestions, they can use them freely without paying you or keeping them confidential.

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“Pinterest has no obligation to maintain feedback confidentiality or provide compensation. Pinterest waives no rights to use similar feedback from other sources.”

7Termination2 clauses

⚠️

Pinterest can terminate access for any violation

⛔Account termination

7-A

💬 Pinterest can shut down your account if they believe you've violated any of their Terms. They say they'll notify you 'where appropriate,' which means they may not always give you advance warning.

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“Pinterest may terminate or suspend access for any Terms violation. Users receive written notice where appropriate and may appeal decisions.”

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Broad survival of clauses after termination

📌Other

7-B

💬 Even after your account is terminated, many important sections — including the content license you granted, liability limitations, arbitration requirements, and indemnity — continue to apply to you.

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“Sections 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 survive termination.”

9Disclaimers3 clauses

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Service provided 'as is' with no warranties

🛡️Limits their liability

9-A

💬 Pinterest makes no guarantees that the service will work correctly, be safe, or be free of errors. You use it entirely at your own risk.

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“"The Service and all content on Pinterest is provided on an 'as is' basis without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied."”

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May contain errors or harmful components

🛡️Limits their liability

9-B

💬 Pinterest does not guarantee the accuracy of content on its platform and acknowledges the service could contain viruses or harmful elements — but accepts no responsibility for that.

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“Pinterest assumes no liability for User Content accuracy, completeness, or appropriateness. Service may contain errors, viruses, or harmful components.”

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Features can be discontinued without liability

🛡️Limits their liability

9-C

💬 Pinterest can change or remove any feature at any time without being held responsible for any impact on you.

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“Pinterest may modify or discontinue features without liability.”

10Limitation of Liability2 clauses

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Liability capped at $100 USD

🛡️Limits their liability

10-A

💬 No matter how much damage Pinterest causes you — lost data, lost business, anything — the maximum they'll ever pay you is $100 total. This is an extremely low cap.

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“Aggregate liability cannot exceed $100 USD for all claims related to the Service.”

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No liability for indirect or consequential damages

🛡️Limits their liability

10-B

💬 Pinterest will not compensate you for any indirect harm, including lost profits, lost data, or reputational damage, even if their service caused those losses.

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“Pinterest is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages; lost profits or data; or lost goodwill.”

11Arbitration3 clauses

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Mandatory binding arbitration

⚖️Forced arbitration

11-A

💬 If you have a dispute with Pinterest, you cannot go to court. Instead, you must go through private arbitration, which can be more expensive and less transparent than a court proceeding.

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“Disputes are resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under applicable AAA rules.”

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Class action and jury trial waiver

🚫No class action

11-B

💬 You give up your right to a jury trial and cannot join a class action lawsuit against Pinterest. This means if Pinterest harms many users, each person must fight individually.

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“Both parties waive jury trial and class action participation rights.”

⚠️

Frivolous claim cost shifting

⚖️Forced arbitration

11-C

💬 If you file an arbitration claim and the arbitrator decides it's frivolous, you could be stuck paying all the costs — which can discourage people from bringing legitimate but uncertain claims.

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“If the arbitrator finds a claim frivolous or improper, that party bears all arbitration costs and fees.”

12Governing Law and Jurisdiction1 clause

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California law and courts for non-EEA/UK users

📍Jurisdiction

12-A

💬 If you're not in the EEA/UK, California law applies and any court proceedings must happen in San Francisco, which could be very inconvenient and expensive if you live elsewhere.

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“These Terms are governed by California law without conflict-of-law principles. Disputes are resolved in San Francisco County, California, or the US District Court for the Northern District of California under California law.”

13-aNotification Procedures and Changes to These Terms1 clause

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Pinterest can change Terms at any time

📝Can change terms anytime

13-A

💬 Pinterest can update these Terms whenever they want. For big changes they'll give you notice, but if you keep using Pinterest after changes, you're considered to have agreed — even if you didn't read the update.

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“Pinterest may revise these Terms anytime. Material changes require advance notice. Continued use constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.”

13-bAssignment1 clause

⚠️

Pinterest can assign your contract without consent

📌Other

13-A

💬 Pinterest can transfer your agreement to another company without your permission, while you cannot transfer yours. Your only recourse is to deactivate your account if you disagree with the new assignee.

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“Users cannot assign; Pinterest may assign without restriction. Users may terminate by account deactivation upon notice of Pinterest assignment.”

2-aWho Can Use Pinterest1 clause

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Automatic software updates without notice

📌Other

2-A

💬 Pinterest can push software updates to your device without telling you first, which could change features or functionality without your awareness.

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“Pinterest can automatically update software without notice.”

1The Service1 clause

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Personalization based on onsite and offsite activity

📥Data collection

1-A

💬 Pinterest tracks your activity both on and off its platform to build a profile of your interests. This means your browsing behavior on other websites can influence what Pinterest shows you.

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“Pinterest provides personalized content inspiration based on your onsite and offsite activity. The platform uses personal data to identify users and their interests.”

Pinterest terms of service, explained in plain English — TOSTLDR