Privacy Policy
W3Schools revised two parts of its Privacy Policy. First, it dropped the old 'by using the site you agree to this policy' language and replaced it with wording clarifying that legally-required consents (like analytics and personalized ads) are collected separately through a consent tool and can be withdrawn anytime — a consumer-friendly clarification. Second, it softened how it describes 'Telemetry Information,' removing the words 'anonymous' and 'de-identified,' so this usage data is no longer explicitly promised to be stripped of identifying details.
Telemetry data no longer guaranteed to be anonymous
Previously, the company promised that the usage statistics it gathers ('Telemetry Information') were anonymous and had identifying details removed. The updated wording drops both of those guarantees, only calling it 'statistical and aggregated' data. This doesn't necessarily mean the company started collecting more, but it does mean the policy no longer commits to keeping this data anonymous or de-identified, which could allow it to be more closely tied to you than before.
“We collect statistical and aggregated information about how you use the Website and or the Services.”
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| 11 | 11 | - **Customers** are users who have entered into an agreement with us or our resellers, either alone or with others, to access ad-free paid Services |
| 12 | 12 | - **Free Users** use the Website and the Services for free |
| 13 | 13 | |
| 14 | 14 | When we refer to "Users" without specifying Customers or Free Users, we mean both groups. |
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| 16 | By using or accessing the Website and the Services in any way, you agree to follow the practices and policies outlined in this Privacy Policy. | |
| 16 | This Privacy Policy is here to tell you what we collect and what we do with it, rather than to be agreed to. Where the law requires your consent before we process something, such as analytics and personalized advertising, we ask for it separately through our consent tool, and you can change or withdraw it at any time. | |
± CHANGEDPolicy reframed as informational rather than something you 'agree to' The old text said that simply using the site means you agree to everything in the Privacy Policy. The new text says the policy is just there to explain what's collected, and that wherever the law requires your actual consent (like for analytics or personalized ads), that consent is collected separately through a consent tool and can be changed or withdrawn anytime. | ||
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| 18 | 18 | - * * |
| 19 | 19 | |
| 20 | 20 | ## About W3Schools |
| 21 | 21 | |
| 22 | 22 | W3Schools is an online platform for learning web development and programming skills, offering tutorials, courses, certifications and various subscription plans. Our educational resources and interactive tools enable users to learn programming languages, build projects, track their progress and practice coding through exercises and quizzes. We fund the Website by showing adverts to our Free Users as you browse the Website. |
| 46 | 46 | We receive information about you from our sub-processors who support our business operations. We use this information only for the purposes described in this policy. |
| 47 | 47 | |
| 48 | 48 | ### Information We Automatically Collect |
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| 50 | 50 | When you use the Website and or the Services, we automatically collect certain information about you, your device, and how you interact with us as follows: |
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| 52 | - **Telemetry Information.** We collect anonymous statistical data and aggregated, de-identified information about how you use the Website and or the Services. | |
| 52 | - **Telemetry Information.** We collect statistical and aggregated information about how you use the Website and or the Services. | |
± CHANGEDTelemetry data no longer described as anonymous or de-identified The policy used to say the usage statistics it collects ('Telemetry Information') are anonymous and de-identified. The updated wording just calls it 'statistical and aggregated' data, dropping the specific promise that it's anonymous or stripped of identifying details. | ||
| 53 | 53 | - **Usage Information.** We track how you interact with the Website and or the Services. This includes clicks, pages viewed, searches, the web browser used, page response times, errors, date and time stamps, request details (like speed and frequency), the site you came from ("referring page"), the site you visit after ours ("exit page"), and the time spent on the Website. |
| 54 | 54 | - **Device Information.** We collect details about your device and how it interacts with the Website and or the Services. This includes browser type and settings, device type, screen size, operating system, model, language preferences, internet service provider, mobile network, push notification tokens, system activity, hardware settings, application version, and unique device identifiers like device type ID. |
| 55 | 55 | - **Service-Generated Information.** We use data generated by your use of the Services, such as log files, diagnostics, capacity, and usage information, to determine storage needs, performance data from our servers, data settings, and system configurations, including your chosen privacy and security settings. |
| 56 | 56 | - **Cookies.** We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information from your browser, depending on your settings when using the Website and or the Services. As explained in our [Cookie Policy](https://w3schools.com/about/about_cookies.asp), you can choose to delete or not accept our cookies. |
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| 58 | 58 | Sometimes, in compliance with applicable laws or our customer agreements, we combine the information we collect from different sources. For example, we might merge usage data with your feedback to improve the Services or inform you about relevant products. |