Hello Ernst,Thank you for raising this point. The reference to ‘name’ here refers to the editable field next to the Description attribute where a probe host can describe or name the probe, since this is the only field where you can provide this information.While probes do not have a separate field explicitly labelled ‘name’, many users include a name in this description field so it serves the same function - allowing the host to provide identifying information for their probe.Best regards,
Karolina Bochenek
RIPE NCC

On 10 Oct 2025, at 12:02, Ernst J. Oud <ernstoud@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks. But this does not answer the raised question at all.

The question is that the terms and conditions mention the probe’s name. But probes do not have a name. Thus the terms and conditions refer to something that does not exist and are therefore nil.

Probes have a a RIPE supplied number as an ID, and the probe host can enter information in the probe’s description field. 

If the terms and conditions were meant to apply to the description field, it should mention that. But I can assure you that that will lead to problems as was already mentioned. Many, many probes have for instance the provider name in the description, or the name of the manufacturer of the router.

Let me quote Google AI: “ A "name" is a word used to identify a person, place, or thing, while a "description" is a detailed account of its characteristics.”

Why the terms and conditions were changed is clear but the change is useless as it is now.

Regards,

Ernst J. Oud

On 10 Oct 2025, at 10:13, Karolina Bochenek <kbochenek@ripe.net> wrote:

Dear Sulev-Madis, all,We amended the terms and conditions in line with applicable legal GDPR requirements and intellectual property law.Under GDPR, personal data cannot be processed without a legal basis, which in the case of RIPE Atlas, would be the individual’s consent. Also, a trade name may not be used without permission from its legitimate owner.To clarify, if consent or permission is granted, RIPE Atlas probe hosts may use personal data or trade names. Regions and cities that do not reveal the identification of individuals are also not personal data and can be used.

Best regards,
Karolina Bochenek
RIPE NCC
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