Arduino's New Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Shift Platform from Open Hardware to Corporate Control
By
ChuckMcM
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
Arduino, now owned by Qualcomm, has implemented sweeping changes to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy that represent a significant departure from its open-hardware origins. The new policies grant Arduino an irrevocable, perpetual license over user uploads, enable broad surveillance of AI features, prevent users from identifying potential patent infringement, retain usernames for years after account deletion, and integrate all user data (including minors') into Qualcomm's global data ecosystem. The changes effectively transform Arduino from an open community platform into a tightly controlled corporate service with extensive data extraction capabilities, including explicit prohibitions on reverse-engineering the platform without permission.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe new documents introduce an irrevocable, perpetual license over anything users upload, broad surveillance-style monitoring of AI features, a clause preventing users from identifying potential patent infringement
Several sections effectively reshape Arduino from an open community platform into a tightly controlled corporate service with deep data extraction built in
users are now explicitly forbidden from reverse-engineering or even attempting to understand how the platform works unless Arduino gives permission
That's a profound shift for a brand long embraced by educators, makers, researchers, and open-source advocates
