Old version
April 19, 2026 06:13 UTC
30dacb2f5c2daea0eee194830d934496ec1685219992cb84fb4d4dad988dba70
CA-V-000724
New version
May 5, 2026 05:44 UTC
b7899fd21f6d5aa04ee2589121d23b47e86d4896e1fa797d920e873e2db1d5b5
CA-V-002128
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Change Summary
Substack updated its privacy policy on May 5, 2026 to disclose that it shares account identifiers with child safety organizations to detect child sexual abuse material, added a one-month deadline for responding to privacy rights requests, and clarified that direct message recipients may retain messages even after deletion. The policy also now specifies that only material changes to the privacy policy will trigger user notification.
medium severity
9 Sentences added
0 Sentences removed
5 Sentences modified
166 Sentences before
175 Sentences after
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BeforeAfter
0Privacy Policy Resources Creators Explore Start publishing Sign in Explore Substack App Discover Featured Substacks around the world Creators Switch to Substack Go paid Grow your audience For live video For video For podcasts For bloggers For finance writers For authors For food writers For local news Resources How to start a Substack Going paid guide Resource center Community & programs Help center Brand assets Documents Terms of Use Privacy Policy Publisher Agreement Content Guidelines Copyright Dispute Policy Copyright Repeat Infringer Policy CCPA Policy Support Chatbot Terms Privacy Policy Last Updated: December 1, 2025 Changes in the Last Update Address Creator privacy responsibilities Amend discussion of services providers About this Privacy Policy Substack Inc. knows you care about how your personal information is used and shared, and we take your privacy seriously.0Privacy Policy Resources Creators Explore Start publishing Sign in Explore Substack App Discover Featured Substacks around the world Creators Switch to Substack Go paid Grow your audience For live video For video For podcasts For bloggers For finance writers For authors For food writers For local news Resources How to start a Substack Going paid guide Resource center Community & programs Help center Brand assets Documents Terms of Use Privacy Policy Publisher Agreement Content Guidelines Copyright Dispute Policy Copyright Repeat Infringer Policy CCPA Policy Support Chatbot Terms Privacy Policy Last Updated: May 4, 2026 Changes in the Last Update Added disclosure that Substack shares account identifiers with child safety industry consortia to detect CSAM.
1Added a one-month response commitment for certain privacy rights requests and the right to object to certain types of processing.
2About this Privacy Policy Substack Inc. knows you care about how your personal information is used and shared, and we take your privacy seriously.
14We’re constantly trying to improve our services, so we may need to change this Privacy Policy from time to time as well, but we will alert you to changes by placing a notice on our site, by sending you an email, and/or by some other means.16We’re constantly trying to improve our services, so we may need to change this Privacy Policy from time to time as well, but we will alert you to material changes by placing a notice on our site, by sending you an email, and/or by some other means.
26In particular we use your Personal Information for the following purposes: to provide services you have requested, and respond to any communications, comments or complaints you send us; to monitor the use of our services and to help us monitor, improve and protect our services, content and website; allow you to create, maintain, customize and secure your account with us; to personalize our services for you and provide recommendations; to monitor any user accounts to prevent, investigate and/or report fraud, misrepresentation, terrorism, security incidents or crime in accordance with applicable law; to invite you to take part in surveys or market research; to facilitate contact syncing between users who opt in to our app’s contact syncing functionality; Where our use of Personal Information is made pursuant to a balancing of our legitimate interests with your privacy interest, we will provide more information about our balancing analysis and process on request.28In particular we use your Personal Information for the following purposes: to provide services you have requested, and respond to any communications, comments or complaints you send us; to monitor the use of our services and to help us monitor, improve and protect our services, content and website; allow you to create, maintain, customize and secure your account with us; to personalize our services for you and provide recommendations; to monitor any user accounts to prevent, investigate and/or report fraud, misrepresentation, terrorism, security incidents or crime in accordance with applicable law; to share account identifiers with trusted industry child safety consortia for the detection and prevention of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA); to invite you to take part in surveys or market research; to facilitate contact syncing between users who opt in to our app’s contact syncing functionality; Where our use of Personal Information is made pursuant to a balancing of our legitimate interests with your privacy interest, we will provide more information about our balancing analysis and process on request.
55Industry Child Safety Programs: We may share account identifiers (such as email addresses and usernames) with trusted industry child safety organizations for the purpose of detecting and preventing online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA).
78Recipients of direct messages may keep those messages even if you request their deletion, and even if you delete your Substack account.81The platform may restrict your access to direct messages received from other users when those users delete messages or block your account.
82Nevertheless, please note that — regardless of platform functionality or policy — recipients of direct messages may keep those messages even if you request their deletion, and even if you delete your Substack account.
95We will respond to any request to exercise your rights within one month of receipt.
96Where your request is complex or you have made a number of requests, we may extend this period by a further two months and will notify you of any such extension, together with the reasons for the delay, within one month of receipt of your request.
97In particular, where we process your Personal Information on the basis of our legitimate interests — including where we profile you in order to personalise content recommendations — you have the right to object to such processing at any time on grounds relating to your particular situation.
98We will cease such processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
99To exercise this right, please contact us at privacy@substackinc.com.
109It is Substack’s obligation as a data processor is to provide any privacy notice it receives to the appropriate data controller, meaning that privacy complaints about editorial content will generally be provided to the Creator who posted the content in question.118Substack’s obligation as a data processor is to provide any privacy notice it receives to the appropriate data controller, meaning that privacy complaints about editorial content will generally be provided to the Creator who posted the content in question.
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