Establishing secure connection…Loading editor…Preparing document…

Internet Use Agreement

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

INTERNET USE AGREEMENT

The undersigned (hereinafter referred to as "Licensee") agrees not to do any of the following:

• post or transmit any unlawful, obscene, harassing, abusive or pornographic information of any kind, including, without limitation, any transmissions constituting or encouraging conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any local, state, national, or international law;

• copy, upload, post, publish, transmit, reproduce, or distribute in any way, information, software or other material obtained through the Internet which is protected by a copyright or other proprietary right or derivative works with respect thereto, without obtaining permission of the copyright owner or rightholder;

• post or transmit any information or software which contains a virus, worm, cancelbot or other harmful component; or

• abuse or otherwise misuse the Internet service being provided or the customer’s password in any way.

The undersigned Licensee understands and agrees that ("Licensor") does not operate or control the Internet in any way, and that all merchandise, information and services offered or made available or accessible on the Internet are offered or made available by parties not affiliated with Licensor. Licensee assumes total responsibility and risk for use of the Internet service. Licensor makes no express or implied warranties, representations or endorsements whatsoever (including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose) with regard to any merchandise, information or service provided through the Internet, and Licensor shall not be liable for any cost or damage arising either directly or indirectly from any such transaction. It is solely Licensee's responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of all opinions, advice, services and other information, and the quality and merchantability of all merchandise, provided through the Internet generally.

Licensee understands further that the Internet contains unedited materials, some of which are sexually explicit or may be offensive to some people. Licensee's access to such materials shall be at licensee's own risk. Licensor has no control over and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for such materials.

This service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of title, non-infringement or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No advice or information given by Licensor or its employees shall create a warranty. Licensor does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error free or that any information, software or other material accessible on the service is free of viruses, worms, Trojan horses or other harmful components.

Under no circumstances shall Licensor or its employees or contractors be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive or consequential damages that result in any way from customer's use of or inability to use their service or to access the Internet or any part thereof, or customer's reliance on or use of information, services or merchandise provided on or through the service, or that result from mistakes, omissions, interruptions, deletion of files, errors, defects, delays in operation, or transmission, or any failure of performance.

If Licensee is dissatisfied with the service or with any terms, conditions, rules, policies, guidelines, or practices of Licensor in operating the service, customer's sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using the service and terminate this agreement.

Licensor has no obligation to monitor the service. However, Licensee agrees that Licensor has the right to monitor the service electronically from time to time and to disclose any information as necessary to satisfy any law, regulation or other governmental request, to operate the service properly, or to protect itself or other customers. Licensor reserves the right to refuse to post or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, that, in its sole discretion, are unacceptable, undesirable, or in violation of this agreement.

In no event shall Licensor be deemed liable or at fault for any failure to perform or any delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder if such failures or delays are due to compliance with applicable law, inclement weather, acts of God or any other factor beyond its reasonable control, foreseeable or unforeseeable.

Witness my signature, this the day of , .

Licensee

Enter text✕

What an Internet Use Agreement Covers

An Internet Use Agreement is a workplace policy document that defines acceptable and prohibited use of employer-provided and networked internet resources. It sets expectations for personal device use, access to websites and cloud services, account sharing, security practices, monitoring, and disciplinary steps for violations. The agreement can be standalone or part of an employee handbook and is often required for contractors, interns, and guests who access an organization’s systems.

Why a Clear Internet Use Agreement Matters

A written agreement reduces legal and security risk, clarifies privacy and monitoring practices, and helps enforce consistent responses to misuse. For electronic execution and recordkeeping, platforms such as signNow enable secure eSignatures while supporting ESIGN and UETA compliance.

Why a Clear Internet Use Agreement Matters

Who Typically Adopts an Internet Use Agreement

The agreement is useful for employees, contractors, volunteers, and any third party granted network access.

  • Employers and HR teams seeking consistent workplace policies and evidence of employee acknowledgement.
  • IT and security teams that require acceptable-use rules and permissioned access controls for networks and devices.
  • Educational institutions, libraries, and clinics that provide public or shared internet access and need visitor rules.

Essential Sections to Include

A professional Internet Use Agreement should be concise but comprehensive, covering access rules, prohibited activities, monitoring, and consequences.

Scope

Define who and what is covered: employees, contractors, guest accounts, personal devices used for work, and networked resources.

Acceptable Use

List permitted activities such as business research, approved cloud services, and job-related communication; include permitted personal use limits if any.

Prohibited Conduct

Describe bans on illegal activity, copyright infringement, malware distribution, unauthorized access, and use that harms operations or reputation.

Monitoring and Privacy

State that network activity may be logged and monitored, describe what is monitored, and explain any limits on privacy expectations.

Security Requirements

Specify password policies, multi‑factor authentication, patching, approved software, and rules for connecting personal devices to corporate networks.

Enforcement

Explain disciplinary measures, incident reporting procedures, and how violations will be investigated and remediated.

Step-by-Step: How to Complete the Agreement

Follow this order to create, distribute, and retain signed agreements consistently.

  • 01
    Draft or Update: Customize standard policy language for your organization and legal jurisdiction.
  • 02
    Assign Reviewers: Get HR, IT, and legal to review role-based clauses and data-handling language.
  • 03
    Distribute for Signature: Send to employees with clear instructions and a deadline for acknowledgment.
  • 04
    Archive Records: Store signed copies in a secure, indexed records system for retention compliance.

Configuring an Online Signing Workflow

Map the fields and routing rules before sending so signers receive a clear, auditable signing experience.

Field Configuration
Routing Order Sequential or parallel routing by role; set reminders and deadlines.
Authentication Use email link, SMS code, or SSO depending on signer identity needs.
Conditional Fields Show device- or role-specific clauses only when applicable to the signer.
Audit Trail Enable timestamps, IP capture, and action history for legal defensibility.

Where to Send and Store the Signed Agreement

Decide recipients and archival destinations when you finalize the workflow.

  • Human Resources: Keep a signed copy in the employee’s personnel file for HR actions.
  • IT Security: Store a copy for access provisioning and incident investigations.
  • Cloud Archive: Save a tamper-evident PDF in secure cloud storage with access controls.
  • Employee Copy: Deliver an executed copy to the signer for their records.

Digital Signing and Technical Requirements

Ensure retention, export, and eDiscovery features meet your compliance and records-management needs.

  • File Formats: PDF, DOCX support
  • Integrations: Common adapters: HR and cloud storage
  • Authentication: Email, SMS, SSO options

Common Timelines and Deadlines

Set clear deadlines for acknowledgment, training, and periodic review to maintain compliance.

Acknowledgment Deadline:

Typical window: 14–30 days after distribution

Training Completion:

Complete related security training within 30–60 days

Policy Review:

Review and update policy annually or after major IT changes

Incident Reporting:

Report suspected breaches immediately, per incident response plan

Record Retention:

Retain signed agreements according to retention policy

Common Preparation Mistakes to Avoid

  • Vague or overly broad language that leaves monitoring and prohibited activities undefined, causing enforcement problems.
  • Failing to document consent or collect dated signatures, which undermines proof of notice and acceptance.
  • Not aligning device and access rules with technical controls, producing gaps between policy and practice.
  • Ignoring industry-specific rules (for example, HIPAA or biometric laws) that create additional requirements for notice and consent.

Consequences of Missing or Incorrect Agreements

Disciplinary Action: Warnings up to termination
Data Breach Liability: Regulatory fines and remediation costs
Compliance Exposure: HIPAA penalties where health data are mishandled
Litigation Risk: Employee claims for privacy violations
Operational Disruption: Unauthorized access causing downtime
Reputational Harm: Public trust and customer impact

Who Signs and Why

HR Manager

The HR Manager oversees distribution and acknowledgment tracking, ensures training completion, and enforces disciplinary provisions when violations occur.

IT Director

The IT Director configures technical controls, approves device lists, and uses signed agreements to support access revocation and incident response.

Supporting Documents to Attach

Attach related exhibits and checklists that make the agreement actionable and auditable.

Acceptable Use Annex

Detailed examples and clarifications that operationalize the policy for common job tasks, reducing ambiguity in enforcement.

Device Inventory

A signed list of company and approved personal devices tied to an individual’s access permissions.

Monitoring Notice

A short, conspicuous statement describing monitoring practices to satisfy notice requirements and transparency expectations.

Incident Response Plan

Procedures and contact points to follow when suspected misuse or breach is detected; useful for audits and investigations.

Practical Examples of Use

Two brief examples show how organizations apply an Internet Use Agreement in common scenarios.

Onboarding Example

A mid‑sized firm requires new hires to acknowledge internet use rules during onboarding

  • The IT team sets role-based access
  • Signed agreements are stored in HR and used in two-factor rollout audits to prove consent and training completion.

Remote Contractor Example

A property management company grants temporary VPN access for contractors

  • Contractors sign a device and monitoring addendum
  • The executed agreement limits access to specified systems and is retained for 7 years for compliance.

eSignature Pricing and Capability Comparison

Basic vendor pricing and capability markers to consider for executing Internet Use Agreements; confirm vendor plan details before purchasing.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes Varies by plan
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HIPAA Compliant Yes Yes Yes Varies Varies

Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Use Agreements

Answers to common legal and practical questions when drafting, delivering, and enforcing an Internet Use Agreement.


Need help? Contact support

be ready to get more
Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users