Why You Should Monitor Terms of Service Changes

Terms of Service (ToS) and privacy policies change more often than you might think. These changes can have serious implications for your business, especially if you depend on third-party platforms.

Why ToS Changes Matter

For Businesses Using Platforms

If you build on platforms like AWS, Stripe, or social media APIs, ToS changes can:

• Restrict how you use their services
• Require data handling changes
• Impact your pricing model
• Force product pivots

For Compliance Teams

Regulatory requirements mean you must:

• Track vendor policy changes
• Document compliance measures
• Update internal policies accordingly
• Notify affected stakeholders

What to Monitor

Essential Pages

• Terms of Service / Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Data Processing Agreements
• API Terms and Rate Limits
• Pricing and Billing Terms

Key Vendors to Watch

Prioritize monitoring for:

• Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
• Cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Communication tools (Twilio, SendGrid)
• Social platforms (if using their APIs)
• Data providers and aggregators

Setting Up Legal Monitoring

Step 1: Inventory Your Dependencies

List all third-party services your business relies on. Include:

• Core infrastructure
• Payment processing
• Marketing tools
• Analytics services

Step 2: Locate Policy Pages

Find and document URLs for each vendor's:

• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Developer Terms (if applicable)
• SLA documents

Step 3: Configure Monitoring

For legal documents, we recommend:

Document Type	Check Frequency	Alert Priority
Terms of Service	Daily	High
Privacy Policy	Daily	High
API Terms	Daily	High
SLA	Weekly	Medium

Responding to Changes

When You Detect a Change

1. Review immediately - Read the full diff to understand what changed
2. Assess impact - Determine if changes affect your operations
3. Document - Record the change date and your assessment
4. Take action - Update internal policies or processes if needed
5. Communicate - Notify relevant stakeholders

Compliance Benefits

Automated ToS monitoring helps you:

• Stay compliant - Never miss important policy updates
• Reduce risk - Catch problematic changes early
• Save time - No manual checking of dozens of pages
• Document diligence - Prove you track vendor changes

Industry-Specific Considerations

Healthcare (HIPAA)

Monitor BAA (Business Associate Agreement) pages for vendors handling PHI.

Finance (SOC 2, PCI)

Track security and compliance documentation updates from all vendors.

E-commerce

Watch payment processor terms closely—they change frequently.

Conclusion

In an era of rapid digital change, monitoring legal documents is no longer optional—it's essential risk management. Automated monitoring ensures you're never caught off guard by policy changes that could impact your business.

Start monitoring legal pages for free and protect your business from compliance surprises.