Risk Score
0 = very fair · 100 = very risky
Summary
These are Medium's Terms of Service governing use of their publishing platform. The terms are fairly typical for a content platform, though they include a mandatory arbitration clause and class action waiver that significantly limits users' legal recourse. Users retain ownership of their content but grant Medium a very broad license to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute it. Medium can terminate accounts at will and change terms with minimal notice, which is more aggressive than ideal. Overall the document leans moderately toward Medium's interests but is not unusually egregious for a free content platform.
Flagged Clauses
If you have a dispute with Medium, you generally cannot sue them in court or join a class action lawsuit. Disputes go to private arbitration instead, which is typically more favorable to companies than to individuals. This applies to privacy and data security claims as well.
“No class or representative actions or arbitrations are allowed under this arbitration provision. In addition, arbitration precludes you from suing in court or having a jury trial. All Disputes submitted to JAMS will be resolved through confidential, binding arbitration before one arbitrator.”
You have only one year from when a problem occurs to file any legal claim against Medium. This is shorter than many standard statutes of limitations and could cause you to lose your rights if you don't act quickly.
“Any Dispute must be filed within one year after the relevant claim arose; otherwise, the Dispute is permanently barred.”
If you are using Medium for personal use (not business), you can have arbitration held near where you live rather than having to go to San Francisco. This is a modest user protection within an otherwise restrictive arbitration clause.
“Arbitration proceedings will be held in San Francisco, California unless you're a consumer, in which case you may elect to hold the arbitration in your county of residence.”
While you keep ownership of your content, you give Medium very broad rights to use it — including making derivative works and sublicensing it to others — across all current and future media formats. The document says this is limited to 'the Services' but the scope of permitted uses within that is very wide.
“You grant Medium a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, fully paid, and sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform and display your content and any name, username or likeness provided in connection with your content in all media formats and distribution methods now known or later developed on the Services.”
Any feedback, ideas, or suggestions you send to Medium can be used by them for free, in any way they choose, with no compensation or credit owed to you.
“Separate and apart from the content you submit, post or display on our Services, we welcome feedback... We may use this feedback for any purpose, in our sole discretion, without any obligation to you. We may treat feedback as nonconfidential.”
Medium can terminate your account at any time, for any reason, and does not have to warn you first. There is no mention of what happens to your content or data after termination.
“We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Services with or without notice.”
Medium can change the terms at any time, and the changes take effect immediately unless they say otherwise. Simply continuing to use the platform counts as agreeing to the new terms, even if you haven't actually read them.
“Unless we say otherwise in our notice, the amended Terms will be effective immediately, and your continued use of our Services after we provide such notice will confirm your acceptance of the changes.”
Your data may be sent to and stored in countries with weaker privacy laws than where you live, potentially reducing the legal protections that apply to your personal information.
“You agree that we may process, transfer and store information about you in the US and other countries, where you may not have the same rights and protections as you do under local law.”
If someone sues Medium because of something you did on the platform, you may be required to pay Medium's legal costs and attorneys' fees — and Medium gets to control the legal defense strategy, even though you're paying for it.
“You will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Medium... from and against any losses, liabilities, claims, demands, damages, expenses or costs arising out of or related to your violation... You agree to promptly notify Medium Parties of any third-party Claims... and pay all fees, costs and expenses associated with defending such Claims (including attorneys' fees). You also agree that the Medium Parties will have control of the defense or settlement, at Medium's sole option.”
Even if Medium causes you significant harm, the most you can typically recover from them is $50 or whatever you paid them — which for free users means essentially nothing.
“We limit the total liability of Medium and the other Medium Parties for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or our Services... to the greater of $50.00 USD or the amount paid by you to use our Services.”
Medium can discontinue the service or any feature at any time without any obligation to you. Your content, reach, and access could be limited or removed entirely at their discretion.
“We may stop providing the Services or any of its features within our sole discretion. We also retain the right to create limits on use and storage and may remove or limit content distribution on the Services.”
You keep ownership of the content you post. Medium does not claim to own your writing, images, or other material — they just get a broad license to use it on their platform.
“You retain your rights to any content you submit, post or display on or through the Services.”
Medium sets a minimum age of 13, which aligns with the U.S. COPPA law. However, no specific enhanced protections for users aged 13–17 are described in these terms.
“To use our Services, you must be at least 13 years old.”
Missing Protections
- No explicit data retention or deletion policy described in these Terms (references Privacy Policy but no specifics given here)
- No description of what happens to user content or data upon account termination — whether it is deleted, retained, or returned
- No guarantee of service continuity or minimum notice period before shutting down the service
- No specific protections for minor users (ages 13–17) beyond the minimum age requirement
- No explicit right to appeal account suspension or termination decisions
- No description of how content distribution limits or removals are determined or challenged
- No portability rights mentioned (ability to export your content/data)
- No clear process for users to request deletion of their personal data within these Terms (may be in Privacy Policy but not referenced specifically)
Fair Terms
- Users explicitly retain ownership of their content — Medium only gets a license, not ownership
- An opt-out mechanism for binding arbitration exists: users can email trust@medium.com within 30 days of accepting terms
- Consumer users can elect to hold arbitration in their county of residence rather than San Francisco
- Medium pays all JAMS arbitration fees beyond a $250 consumer filing fee cap, reducing financial burden on users who initiate arbitration
- Medium explicitly acknowledges the license is limited to 'the Services' and does not grant permissions outside of its platform
- The terms acknowledge that liability limitations may not apply in countries where such exclusions are not allowed, preserving some international consumer rights
- Medium commits to providing notice of term changes via email or in-product notification before changes take effect
Document information only — not legal advice.