This analysis describes what Substack's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
Direct messages on Substack are accessible to Substack personnel for defined operational and enforcement purposes, meaning they are not private from the platform operator.
The updated policy discloses that Substack obtains additional information from third parties and sources beyond what it directly collects from you on the platform. This third-party information is combined with platform data to provide what Substack describes as more relevant and safer experiences, and to improve platform analytics. The policy also clarifies that Substack shares account identifiers with child safety industry consortia and receives information from them to detect CSAM. You can review Substack's full privacy policy to understand which third parties may be sources of this information and how your data may be combined with external sources.
View change record →The updated policy discloses that Substack shares account identifiers (email addresses and usernames) with trusted child safety organizations to detect and prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Users now have the right to object to processing of their personal information for personalization purposes on grounds relating to their particular situation, and Substack commits to responding to privacy rights requests within one month. The policy also clarifies that while recipients of direct messages may retain them independently, the platform may restrict your access to messages when other users delete or block you. You can exercise your right to object to personalization processing by contacting privacy@substackinc.com.
View change record →Users' direct message contents may be read by Substack personnel for the stated purposes; direct messages are not confidential from Substack.
How other platforms handle this
We may use your information to send you updates about our products and services, including exclusive offers, promotions or new products and services.
Zoom may obtain and aggregate technical and other data about your and your End Users use of the Services and Software on a de-identified or anonymized basis...and Zoom may use the Aggregated Anonymous Data in accordance with applicable Law...
We may send you direct marketing communications and may personalize these messages based on your needs and interests.
"Substack personnel may access the contents of direct messages to enforce our Terms of Use, ensure the security of our platform, to provide user support, or as otherwise necessary to provide our services.Excerpt from Substack's Privacy Policy
We read the privacy policies and terms of service of 38 AI platforms. Here is what they say about training, retention, arbitration, and liability.
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Direct messages on Substack are accessible to Substack personnel for defined operational and enforcement purposes, meaning they are not private from the platform operator.
Users' direct message contents may be read by Substack personnel for the stated purposes; direct messages are not confidential from Substack.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 273 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Substack.