Keeping a copy of vendor terms and privacy settings

Save the terms and the privacy settings the day you start using a tool, and again when they change. A web page can be edited tomorrow. Your copy shows what applied when you used it.

Why the day matters

The terms you agreed to, and the settings you switched on or off, shape what happens to the information staff type in. The Australian privacy regulator tells businesses to review carefully the terms and settings that will apply to their use of a product.¹

Some products also let their owner gather what customers type in and use it for training. That comes from the product's terms or settings.¹ Suppose a question comes up about where some information went. You'll want to know what the terms said that day, because the live page may now say something different.

Without a copy you're relying on memory, and on a page that isn't yours.

What to save

Keep these together for each tool.

• The terms of service or terms of use.
• The privacy policy.
• Any separate page on how your data is used, such as a data or training policy.
• A screenshot of each data and privacy setting, showing its current state.
• The plan or account type the screens belong to.

Settings matter as much as terms. In some tools a setting decides whether the maker may use your input. A screenshot with the date showing records what you chose.

Don't screenshot anything with passwords, payment details or customers' information on screen. Crop or hide those parts first.

How to save them

Keep it low-tech.

• Open the page and use your browser's print option to save it as a PDF.
• Name the file with the tool, the page and the date, for example "toolname-terms-date".
• Take a dated screenshot of each setting.
• Store everything in one folder per tool, next to that tool's entry from the tool facts page.
• Add the folder's location to your use log.

If a tool emails you about changing terms, save the email too. Then save the new version once it takes effect, and leave the old one in the folder. Don't overwrite it.

When to check again

Terms and settings aren't a one-off job. The OAIC says AI products call for regular reviews, staff training and monitoring through their whole use.¹ Set a recurring date to open the pages and compare them with your saved copy. Also check when you upgrade a plan, add a feature or give a new group of staff access.

When something has changed, add a short line to the tool's entry. Say what changed, when you noticed, and what you did. If the change touches personal information, ask your privacy regulator or a qualified adviser what it means for you. This site can't judge that.

Keeping the copies usable

A folder of files only helps if you can open them later. For tax records, the Australian Taxation Office says original data must stay recoverable when a business changes its record-keeping system.² That's an Australian tax rule, but the point carries over. If you change where you store files, move the whole folder and check that a few of them still open.

What a copy proves

A saved copy shows what you saw and when. It doesn't show that the maker followed its own terms, and it doesn't show that your use fits your country's privacy rules. It's a record, not a clearance. Privacy rules differ between Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and other places, so ask the regulator in your own country.