Old version
April 26, 2026 06:19 UTC
344b4b3cfd9dbacaed219b488b7c41d5a4f6226b22f3fb0ba7fd7224f1946573
CA-V-001980
New version
May 18, 2026 00:26 UTC
311b83ba6da0980f518b95cc57466bfc704e527da40a9471e2fde7c772eae6ef
CA-V-002703
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Change Summary
Medium updated its Privacy Policy on May 18, 2026 to add detailed disclosure about its address book contact feature. The new language explains that when users opt in to this feature, Medium converts contact names and email addresses into encrypted, non-reversible identifiers to match against its member database. Medium does not store names or emails in plain text, deletes identifiers for non-members immediately, and deletes all encrypted identifiers within 30 days. The policy also reorganized its personal information collection disclosure, though the categories themselves (identifiers, commercial information, internet activity, inferences) remain unchanged.
low severity
7 Sentences added
1 Sentences removed
2 Sentences modified
97 Sentences before
103 Sentences after
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Removed
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BeforeAfter
0Medium Privacy Policy Effective date: March 24, 2022 Medium Follow 11 min read · Sep 1, 2020 Listen Share You can see our previous Privacy Policy here .0Medium Privacy Policy Effective date: March 24, 2022 Medium Follow 12 min read · Sep 1, 2020 Listen Share You can see our previous Privacy Policy here .
43HELPING YOU CONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW When you use our address book feature, we process contact information from your device to help you discover people you know who are on Medium.
44Get Medium’s stories in your inbox Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
45Subscribe Subscribe Remember me for faster sign in Why we do this: We rely on legitimate interests to offer this feature — specifically, our interest in helping you connect with people you know, and our mission to deepen collective understanding through writing, which supports your fundamental right to freedom of expression and information.
46How it works: When you opt in, we convert contact names and email addresses into encrypted, non-reversible identifiers and match them against our member database.
47We don’t store names or emails in plain text.
48For contacts who aren’t Medium members, we delete their encrypted identifiers immediately after checking.
49We delete all encrypted identifiers within 30 days.
67Get Medium’s stories in your inbox Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.74In the preceding 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information: identifiers, commercial information, internet or other electronic network activity information, and inferences.
68Subscribe Subscribe Remember me for faster sign in In the preceding 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information: identifiers, commercial information, internet or other electronic network activity information, and inferences.Removed
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