Forbes Terms Scorecard

Grade F — Predatory terms (score 45/100)

Forbes forces binding arbitration, claims a perpetual license to your content, and reserves the right to change terms at any time without notice.

Forced arbitration, perpetual content license, and unilateral term changes.

Terms at a glance

Sells your data
UNCLEAR
Forced arbitration
YES
Trains AI on your content
YES
Collects biometric data
NO
Shares data with government
YES
Easy to cancel
UNCLEAR
Tells you before changes
NO
Deletes data on request
UNCLEAR

What the terms actually say

Section 16.2 — Class Action and Jury Waiver

THE PARTIES WAIVE THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION, MASS ACTION, GROUP ACTION, REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AND/OR COLLECTIVE ACTION IN ANY DISPUTE.

You are legally barred from suing Forbes in court with a jury or joining others in a class action lawsuit.

Section 5.4 — User Content License

By Posting content to the Website... you grant Forbes... a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable, transferable, non-exclusive right and license to... exploit all content you Post.

Forbes claims a permanent, global right to use, modify, and sell anything you post, which continues even if you delete your account.

Section 12 — Modification

Forbes shall have the right, at its discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove terms of this agreement at any time without notice.

Forbes can change these terms whenever they want without notifying you, and your continued use counts as agreement.

Section 6 — Posting Rules

Forbes reserves the right to disclose any information as necessary to satisfy any law, regulation, or governmental request.

Forbes may hand over your data to government authorities without notifying you or requiring a warrant.

Section 15.1 — Indemnity

YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND AND HOLD HARMLESS, FORBES... FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS... (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COURT COSTS).

If Forbes gets sued because of something you did, you are responsible for paying their legal bills and damages.

Last reviewed 2026-07-25 under rubric v3.5.

Other scorecards