PLOS Terms Scorecard

Grade C+ — Standard consumer terms (score 67/100)

PLOS claims a perpetual, irrevocable license to user content and imposes a one-year statute of limitations on all legal claims.

Broad content license, short claim window, and unilateral modification rights.

Terms at a glance

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

What the terms actually say

YOUR CONTENT

you grant PLOS a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable right to publish, reproduce, distribute, transmit, display, store, translate, adapt, and otherwise use that content, in whole or in part...

You grant PLOS a permanent, worldwide license to use your content in any way they see fit, which survives account termination.

MODIFICATIONS TO THE PLOS SITES AND TERMS OF USE

PLOS reserves the right to modify or discontinue... the PLOS Sites... with or without notice at any time.

PLOS can change the terms or shut down services without providing any advance notice to users.

GENERAL TERMS

any claim or cause of action... must be filed within one (1) year after it arises, or it will be permanently barred.

You must bring any legal claim against PLOS within one year, or you lose the right to sue forever.

INDEMNIFICATION, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless PLOS... from any claim, demand, loss, liability, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to your use of the PLOS Sites

You are required to pay for PLOS's legal defense if your use of the site leads to a third-party claim.

GENERAL TERMS

EACH PARTY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY, AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OF USE.

You waive your right to have a jury decide any legal dispute with the company.

Last reviewed 2026-08-01 under rubric v3.5.

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