Plain is a tool that simplifies complex text, making it easier to read and understand. Companies can use it to enhance communication, create clear documentation, and improve user engagement.
Plain is an AI-powered tool that transforms complex, technical, or jargon-heavy text into clear, concise plain language, enhancing readability and accessibility without losing essential meaning. Its core value lies in streamlining communication for broader audiences, reducing misunderstandings, and boosting engagement in professional and educational contexts. Key features include vocabulary simplification by replacing difficult words with everyday alternatives, restructuring long sentences into shorter ones, adjustable simplification levels from light tweaks to deep rewrites, and support for various input formats like pasted text or file uploads. Ideal for companies creating user documentation, businesses improving stakeholder emails and reports, educators simplifying academic materials, and legal teams making contracts approachable, Plain caters to anyone needing inclusive content. What sets it apart is its precise AI analysis of sentence structure, technical density, and readability scores, ensuring compliant, high-quality output based on standards like plain language guidelines, often with faster processing and customization options compared to generic paraphrasers.[1][2][3]
Plain explicitly prohibits using customer data to train AI models without prior written consent. Clause 4.5 of ToS and S
No training on user data means no opt-out is necessary.
Moderate risk. Suitable for internal data but avoid confidential information.
Plain explicitly prohibits using customer data to train AI models without prior written consent. Clause 4.5 of ToS and Section 3.3 of DPA both clearly state that customer data cannot be used to create, develop, train, or fine-tune AI models.
“[ToS] 4.5: "Except with the prior written consent of Subscriber, Plain shall not...use Subscriber Data to create, develop, train, fine-tune or otherwise improve any artificial intelligence models"; [DPA] 3.3: "Provider will not use Customer Personal Data...to train, develop or improve any general or shared artificial intelligence or machine learning models."”
The license granted is limited to service provision (clause 4.1), but Plain claims broad rights to 'Improvements' (feedback, suggestions) which automatically vest in Plain with unrestricted use rights. Additionally, Plain retains irrevocable rights to create aggregated/anonymized derivatives from subscriber data (clause 4.3), creating some ambiguity about content boundaries.
“[ToS] 4.1: "Subscriber grants to Plain...a worldwide, royalty-free license to host, copy, transmit and display Subscriber Data...as reasonably necessary"; [ToS] 11.2: "any improvements, modifications and changes...will automatically be vested in, and become the exclusive property of, Plain. Plain can use such Improvements in any way without compensating Subscriber."”
Plain shares data with 'Affiliates and applicable contractors' (clause 4.1) and maintains a Sub-Processor list with 7-day objection mechanism (DPA 4.3). Usage Data is de-identified and aggregated before sharing (clause 11.3). However, the definition of 'Affiliates' is broad, and the objection process is passive (deemed consent after 7 days).
“[ToS] 4.1: "Subscriber grants to Plain, its Affiliates and applicable contractors a worldwide, royalty-free license"; [DPA] 4.3: "the Provider shall notify the Customer...giving the Customer the opportunity to object. If the Customer does not make a reasonable objection...within 7 days...the Customer is deemed to have authorized the engagement"; [ToS] 11.3: "If Plain provides Usage Data to third parties, such Usage Data shall be de-identified and aggregated."”
Plain states data is retained only as long as necessary for service provision (DPA 2.2b), but acknowledges that certain Subscriber Data integrated into the Service (including communications and Aggregated Data) will be retained indefinitely for 'integrity of the Service, including auditing, security and other legitimate interests' (ToS 10.4). Deletion requests are possible but with significant carve-outs.
“[DPA] 2.2b: "Processing of Customer Personal Data...shall not be Processed for longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected"; [ToS] 10.4: "Subscriber may submit a request...for Subscriber Data to be deleted...however Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that certain Subscriber Data will be retained if it has been integrated into data that is integral to the Service...Such Subscriber Data is necessarily retained for the integrity of the Service, including auditing, security and other legitimate interests."”
Subscriber retains ownership of Subscriber Data (clause 4.1). Plain claims no right, title, or interest in Subscriber Data itself, only limited licenses for service delivery. However, Plain owns all 'Improvements' and 'Usage Data' separately, which is appropriately carved out.
“[ToS] 4.1: "As between Plain and Subscriber, Subscriber owns all Subscriber Data...Plain acquires no right, title or interest to any Subscriber Data"; [ToS] 11.1: "Plain and its licensors retain all right, title, and interest in and to the Service and the Plain Content."”
Plain references a Trust Center and mentions GDPR compliance via the DPA, but no specific certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA) are mentioned in the provided documents. The DPA is comprehensive and references Data Protection Laws, but formal compliance certifications are not explicitly stated.
“[DPA] 4.2a: "the Sub-Processors included in the Sub-Processor list provided to the Customer and set out in our Sub Processor List within our Trust Center at https://trust.plain.com/"; [DPA] 1: "Data Protection Laws means all laws and regulations relating to data protection and privacy...including without limitation, the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR)...as in force and applicable."”
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