← Back to all providers

Ziff Davis

Ziff Davis claims extremely broad rights to your content including perpetual, irrevocable worldwide licenses that survive account deletion. They force arbitration with class action waivers and disclaim nearly all liability. The terms also allow account termination for any reason without notice and include automatic subscription renewals that are difficult to cancel.

Getting Betterwhy?Alarming
TOS reviewed:November 2026
View Original TOS
Latest changeMinor changeOct 23, 2026

The new terms won't kick in until September 2026 instead of March, giving you a few extra months with the current rules. MapGenie, a new website under their umbrella, is now covered by these same terms. There's also a tiny formatting fix that doesn't change what you can actually do on any of their sites.

See the full change →

The Bottom Line

AI-generated summary of the terms as we read them. Opinion, not legal advice.

Ziff Davis claims extremely broad rights to your content including perpetual, irrevocable worldwide licenses that survive account deletion. They force arbitration with class action waivers and disclaim nearly all liability. The terms also allow account termination for any reason without notice and include automatic subscription renewals that are difficult to cancel.

Get notified when Ziff Davis updates their TOS

We'll email you what changed and what it means.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

Notable Clauses

Perpetual Content LicenseYour Use of ContentVERIFIED

“You hereby grant, transfer and assign to Ziff Davis and its affiliates, successors, assigns and licensees (collectively, "Licensee" ) a fully-paid, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right and license to publish, distribute, reproduce, transmit, use, translate, display, perform, modify,...”

Translation: They get to use anything you post forever, worldwide, and can even let others use it without paying or crediting you.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
Forced Arbitration with Class Action WaiverBinding ArbitrationVERIFIED

“You agree that, by entering into this Agreement, you and we are each waiving the right to participate in a class action and to a trial by jury to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.”

Translation: You can't join class action lawsuits against them and must settle disputes through private arbitration instead of court.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
Account Inactivity FeesRetailMeNot Cash Back ServicesVERIFIED

“If an account has not been credited with a Qualifying Transaction in the previous 12 months, it may be deemed an Inactive Cash Back Account. Accounts which meet this criteria will be debited a monthly maintenance fee in the amount of the lesser of $2.00 or the current account balance.”

Translation: They charge $2/month fees if you don't use their cashback service for a year, eating away your earned rewards.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
Broad Liability DisclaimerDisclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of LiabilityVERIFIED

“ZIFF DAVIS, ANY THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDER AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF INFORMATION OR DATA, LO...”

Translation: They're not responsible for any damages whatsoever, even if they knew it could happen.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
AI Training PermissionYour Use of ContentVERIFIED

“Except as expressly permitted, you may not (i) modify, publish, transmit, reproduce, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, display, adapt, aggregate, sell, transfer or in any way exploit any of the Content, code or Material (defined below), in whole or in part, (ii) use any robot, spide...”

Translation: They prohibit you from using their content for AI training, but this doesn't restrict them from using your content for their own AI purposes.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
Content Removal Without NoticeManaging ContentVERIFIED

“Ziff Davis reserves the right to edit or remove any Content or Material on the Services, in whole or in part, and to disclose any information or take any action necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request or to protect the rights, property or safety of ...”

Translation: They can delete your posts at any time for any reason, including sharing your info with authorities.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
Auto-Renewal Subscription TrapsPremium ServicesVERIFIED

“You grant to Ziff Davis' third party payment processor(s) permission to automatically renew your subscription and charge your account up to seven (7) days prior to the day on which your subscription is scheduled to end.”

Translation: They'll keep charging your card automatically unless you remember to cancel at least 10 days early.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy
Termination Without CauseTermination of ServiceVERIFIED

“Ziff Davis reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to restrict, suspend or terminate your access to all or any part of the Services, including the discussion areas, at any time for any reason without prior notice or liability.”

Translation: They can ban you instantly for literally any reason and don't have to tell you why.
VERIFIEDView proof →
Rate it (1 crazy → 10 amazing):
Anonymous · Privacy

Protect Yourself

ACTIONABLE

Settings and actions you can take to limit your exposure

HIGH IMPACT

Turn Off RetailMeNot Auto-Renewal

Prevents automatic subscription renewals that charge your card without notice

How to do it:
  1. Log into your RetailMeNot account
  2. Go to Account Settings → Subscription
  3. Click 'Cancel Auto-Renewal' or 'Manage Subscription'
  4. Confirm cancellation before your renewal date
HIGH IMPACT

Cancel IGN Plus Subscription

Stops automatic renewals for IGN Plus premium features

How to do it:
  1. Visit IGN Support Center
  2. Log in and go to Account Settings
  3. Find 'Subscription' or 'IGN Plus' section
  4. Click 'Cancel Subscription'
  5. Cancel at least 10 days before renewal
MEDIUM IMPACT

Export Your Data

Download your content before they potentially use it under their broad license

How to do it:
  1. Check each Ziff Davis service you use for data export options
  2. Look for 'Download My Data' in account settings
  3. Save copies of important posts, reviews, or content you've created
  4. Consider this before posting valuable original content
MEDIUM IMPACT

Monitor Cashback Account Activity

Prevents inactivity fees from eating your RetailMeNot rewards

How to do it:
  1. Set calendar reminder for every 11 months
  2. Make small qualifying purchase to reset activity timer
  3. Check your cashback balance quarterly
  4. Redeem rewards before $2/month fees kick in
LOW IMPACT

Limit Personal Information Sharing

Reduces the amount of data they can license and potentially share

How to do it:
  1. Use minimal profile information when registering
  2. Avoid posting personal photos or detailed personal stories
  3. Check privacy settings on each Ziff Davis service you use
  4. Consider using separate email for Ziff Davis accounts

Disclaimer: The clauses shown above are excerpts from publicly available Terms of Service documents. Ratings and severity levels reflect community and AI assessment, not legal advice, factual claims, or determinations about a company's legality or intent. Clauses marked “VERIFIED” have been confirmed as exact quotes from the source document. Clauses marked “AI-extracted” were identified by AI and may contain errors. Always verify against the original TOS.

Get notified when Ziff Davis updates their TOS

We'll email you what changed and what it means

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.