BotNetwork

Guide 26

Legal basics for bots: platform terms, privacy policies, data protection and disclosure

This is orientation, not legal advice. Laws differ by country, and the right answer for your bot depends on where it operates and what it does.

Guide2 min readUpdated

Platform terms come first

Every platform has developer terms and policies that apply on top of the law, and breaking them gets bots banned:

Common themes: protect user data, do not sell it, delete it when asked or when you stop operating, do not spam, do not impersonate, and respond to platform requests.

Privacy policy

Most platforms require a privacy policy for public bots, and data protection laws require clear information. It should say, in plain language:

  • What data the bot collects (IDs, messages, files, payment status) and why.
  • The legal basis where required (for example, under the EU GDPR: contract, consent or legitimate interest).
  • Who receives it: hosting, LLM and analytics providers, payment processors.
  • Where it is processed and for how long it is kept.
  • How people can access, correct, export or delete their data, and how to contact you.

Make it reachable from the bot (a /privacy command) and from the platform listing.

Data protection principles

  • Minimize: collect only what a feature needs; avoid storing message content.
  • Limit retention: delete conversation logs on a schedule.
  • Secure: encrypt in transit and at rest, restrict access, rotate secrets. See bot security.
  • Sub-processors: if you send user messages to an LLM provider, say so and check their data use and retention terms.
  • Children: many services must not knowingly collect children's data without parental consent; age thresholds differ by country.

Disclosure and AI

  • Tell people they are talking to a bot. Some laws, including the EU AI Act's transparency obligations, require disclosing AI interaction and labeling certain AI-generated content.
  • Do not present generated answers as professional medical, legal or financial advice.
  • Offer a way to reach a human for important matters.
  • Unsolicited bulk messages may violate platform rules and anti-spam or telecom laws. Message people who started the conversation or opted in, and make opting out easy (/stop).
  • WhatsApp and Messenger restrict business-initiated messages outside defined windows and templates.
  • Recording calls or voice messages may require consent from all parties in some jurisdictions. See voice bots.

Your own terms

Terms of service for a bot typically cover acceptable use, availability without guarantees, limitation of liability, paid features and refunds (payments in bots), and how you handle abuse.

Get advice when

You process sensitive data (health, finance, children), operate in regulated industries, take payments, or serve users in many countries. A short consultation is cheaper than a takedown.

Check your understanding

1. Which comes on top of the law for bots?
2. What is data minimization?