Open Terms Archive

Digital platforms hold immense power in forming global information flows, managing personal data and dictating business practices, and thus massively influence societal change. Their power is shaped by the rules set forth in complex and regularly changing documents that define how these platforms operate: terms of service, privacy policies, community guidelines…

These terms often offer unequal rights and opportunities across jurisdictions and increasingly constitute norms designed unilaterally, with little to no democratic oversight. Due to the sheer volume of these documents, the frequency at which they change, and the legalese often used, these critical governing rules remain largely opaque, even to the most dedicated observers.

Beyond immediate practical usage as a repository of historical terms of service, Open Terms Archive is designed as a tool to steer platform governance towards increased accountability, improved legislation and stronger regulatory compliance. It makes it clear to every service provider that their actions are seen and recorded. It draws the attention of the public on the conditions it gets offered. It shows which actions were effective in changing these conditions. It gathers an ecosystem of potent counter-powers around shared datasets.