I've examined the revised "Terms of Use" (TOU) and "Privacy Policy" which were linked within the latest announcement on HubPages: http://blog.hubpages.com/2016/02/02/new-year-new-sites Notably, the first line in the HubPages TOU states: "These Terms of Use were updated on February 2, 2016 and are effective as of February 9, 2015" [sic]. And since it also states: "If we substantively amend this Agreement, we will give you at least seven (7) days notice before the changes take effect, during which period of time you may reject the changes by terminating your account. Your continued use of the Service indicates Your acceptance of any and all revised Terms." Hmm, seven days eh? Seems that not everyone on HubPages was notified since one person stated: "I'm on Hubpages and I still didn't know about this! It's sad that I had to hear about it on the InfoBarrel forum, though, isn't it?" Source: http://www.infobarrel.com/forum-topic.php?id=13406 Below is a list of what (I feel) are red flags. My thoughts are shown in square brackets (since I cannot italicize words in petition updates): HubPages reserves the right to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service or any portion thereof at any time ... [Beware of a sudden closure.] HubPages does not claim ownership of Your Hub Content or Author Content. [HubPages admits to "not owning content or author info" so HOW is it legal they can use it to profit from?] Such content will be owned by You or a third party from whom You got permission to post the content. [Yet HubPages never sought the permission of everyone formerly on Squidoo – especially those who were not online the last two weeks of August 2014. HubPages imported (stole) content, identities, and kept earnings. And CONTINUES to do so]. By posting Hub Content on the Service ... [But those who did NOT agree to the transfer of their Squidoo content and identities did NOT "post Hub Content on the Service" right? This should nullify any TOU in my opinion.] Notably, it still states: "You may not remove your Author Content from the Service." The final determination of Your Earned Balance and payment amount to You for use of the HubPages Earnings Program on Your Hubs will be made by HubPages in its sole discretion. [HubPages pays you whatever they want.] You acknowledge and agree that You will not publicly disclose Your payments or Earned Balance (including any subcomponents thereof) from the HubPages Earnings Program without prior written consent of HubPages. [Yes, you are gagged and cannot tell people how much – or how little – you are paid.] HubPages reserves the right to withhold payment from You if You have, directly or indirectly, engaged in activity that is deceptive or fraudulent in nature, as determined by HubPages in its sole discretion. [They keep your money if THEY think you've done something "deceptive" – gee, is it deceptive to tell the truth, I wonder?] Any breach by You of this Agreement shall result in the permanent forfeiture of any Earned Balances for the applicable period. Notwithstanding any other remedies that HubPages may elect to pursue, such breach may result in a charge-back and/or future withholding for Your account, and you agree that HubPages may seek any such amounts from you in any manner permitted by law. [A "charge-back"? HubPages will "go after" you for money they have paid out to you?] HubPages may not be able to make payment to You, and may withhold payment, because of any (or combination) of the following reasons, including but not limited to: You have submitted inaccurate, partial, or insufficient payment information. You have submitted inaccurate, partial, or insufficient tax information. [Yes, you DO have to surrender your SSN prior to getting paid; this is deceptively hidden under "Account Closure and Inactivity" in the HubPages TOU.] I also addressed this in the Wikipedia Talk Page (look for comments by RoseWrites): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AHubPages HubPages has been unable to reach You after contacting the address listed in Your account. BTW, HubPages has ONLY sent me automated emails. Except for this one by Sue Adams: https://plus.google.com/u/0/107889574670988423996/posts/DoAUb6f7jFV The selected payment organization has rejected and/or returned payment to HubPages. [Sadly, when I looked under "Taxes" it mentions BOUNCED Payments. Yeah, never heard of this before, have you? Reputable businesses "carry your balance" forward!] Apparently, "You must provide all necessary information (to both HubPages and any applicable third-parties) for HubPages to process payments to You. You must collect the payment amount posted to Your account with the payment company within six (6) months of such payment being made by HubPages. If after such six (6) month timeframe [sic], either You fail to collect Your payment and/or payment is not accepted into Your account with the payment company (i.e. bounced payments), You acknowledge and agree that the funds represented by such uncollected payment may be cancelled and that (if cancelled) You hereby forfeit such payment amount, waive any claim relating to the dispute of such payment, and disclaim any and all interest in such funds." You have not logged into Your account to provide all necessary information for the HubPages Earnings Program. [I NEVER set up an account; nor did countless other former Squidoo authors.] Under "Security" I found this: "... we cannot guarantee that unauthorized third parties will never be able to defeat those measures or use your personal information for improper purposes. You acknowledge that you provide your personal information at your own risk." But under "COPYRIGHTS AND COPYRIGHT AGENTS" I found the BIGGEST lie: "We respect the intellectual property of others ..." [HAAAAA!] Notably: "These Terms will be governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to its conflict of law provisions." Under "Entire Agreement" it states: "These Terms, together with the HubPages Privacy Policy and any other agreements incorporated by reference in these Terms or entered into between You and HubPages in connection with Your registration as a Author." [Countless people from Squidoo NEVER "registered as an Author" – now did we?] Reminders from HubPages OWN TOU: Definitions: "Author" or “Hubber”: A person that creates an account on the Service. [People from Squidoo did NOT "create an account" though.] "Author Content": Any content, including without limitation questions, answers, forum posts, ratings, votes, and Hub comments, that Authors post on the Service other than on the Author’s Hub, and all photographs that Authors post on the Service (including on the Author’s Hub). [People automatically imported from Squidoo did NOT "post on the Service" did we!] "Hub": A webpage created via the Service. [My former Squidoo lenses (aka articles) have been called "Hubs" BUT, I never created these "webpages via the Service" – nor did others.] "Hub Content": Any content, including without limitation text, data, video, and links, but excluding photographs, that an Author posts on the Author’s Hub. [Again, I wasn't the "Author" who "posts on the Author's Hub".] "Profile”: Your personal profile page on the Service. [My identity was taken without my permission and despite my numerous public protests.] Next is where things get even scarier. Under the revised "Privacy Policy" HubPages collects the following: "... certain personally identifiable information to HubPages directly, such as Your first and last name, telephone number, address, tax information (such as a Social Security Number), credit card or PayPal® information, and email address (collectively, “Personally Identifiable Information”) when choosing to register." [Again, I NEVER registered; never joined HubPages. Nor did others.] "You authorize to share information about You with HubPages. If You elect to use Facebook Connect with HubPages, You agree that HubPages may use (as described in Section 2) information about You provided by Facebook, including (but is not limited to) Your: name, email, gender, birthday, current city, profile picture URL ..." [What? They can use your Facebook profile picture? And acquire your date of birth this way?] "HubPages, in its sole discretion and at any time, may change, remove, reclaim, and/or reassign the screen name/username and/or subdomain name associated with Your Author account." [WHAT????] "We may store personal information in locations outside the direct control of HubPages (for instance, on servers or databases co-located with hosting providers)." Under "Choices" [which should read "No Choices" I think] it states: "You may update or correct your Personally Identifiable Information at any time as indicated on the Service or by sending us an email at team@HubPages.com. If You or HubPages intend to delete any User Content provided by You, we cannot guarantee that your User Content will be completely removed from all User devices or from their web pages, nor that other Users will not misuse any content that You supply. In addition the other Users may have already copied and forwarded your User Content to others, making recovery impossible." "You provide such information at your own risk." "We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, add or remove portions of this policy at any time by posting such changes to this page. Such changes will be effective upon posting." [NO MORE 7 days notice after this Tuesday, February 9th, 2016.] Lastly, I found this line hilarious: "HubPages will terminate a user account if, under appropriate circumstances, the user is determined to be a repeat infringer of copyrights (or other intellectual property) of others." [Gee, I guess that anonymous quote is true: "People tend to make rules for others and exceptions for themselves."] Oh and lets not forget the admission by Robin Edmondson: "... some [most?] of the accounts we are editing have been abandoned." See screenshot proof here (since I can no longer find it on HubPages): https://plus.google.com/u/0/107889574670988423996/posts/SiXpGdnZCJb FACT: HubPages has imported (stolen) content (including photos and videos), earnings, and identities without obtaining permission from the original Squidoo authors. HubPages has found a clever means to "edit" the work of people (without their consent) via Editbot and their "editors". AND, they have (somehow) decided they have the right to change your author name. And, after February 9th, 2016, you will be given NO advance notice of any changes. I sincerely hope that California's Attorney General, Kamala Harris, will see fit to completely nullify the HubPages Terms of Use. No longer does ANYONE who has surrendered their SSN and/or date of birth (in order to receive their earnings) have ANY guarantee their personal information will NOT be used for criminal purposes. Thank you for examining these revised policies. I urge anyone on HubPages to terminate your account before February 9th, 2016 (and sign my petition). Please share this with others (including your family). Change.org allows family members to also sign. Take good care, Rose