Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
The policy reveals several areas of concern for user data. Direct messages and chat content may be collected, monitored with automated technology, and used to train AI models (risk_flags-1). Participation in financial incentive programs can lead to personal information being used for targeted advertising and shared with data analytics, advertising technology vendors, and social media platforms (risk_flags-2). Customer support interactions, including emails and chat sessions with AI chatbots, may be reviewed by AI tools and recorded for quality assurance, training, and AI model training (risk_flags-3). Additionally, information about users can be collected from other users or third-party databases, including sensitive demographic data (data_use-1), and the service infers new information about user preferences using machine learning for personalization and advertising (data_use-2). Users might also be unable to access certain parts of the website if they block cookies (gotchas-1), and the service is not obligated to publish user content, retaining the right to remove or edit it if legally required (gotchas-2).
89% confidence
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Risk Flags
3 findings
These findings highlight material, hard-to-reverse harms or significant risks that could affect user rights, privacy, or financial status. They often involve one-sided terms, limited user recourse, or broad grants of power to the service provider.
high95% confidence
User-generated content may be publicly accessible and used to train AI models.
Messages sent through the service's chat features, including direct messages, are collected and may be monitored using automated scanning and moderation technology to identify violations of policies. This information may also be used to train AI models.
Why it matters: Your direct messages and other chat content may be collected, monitored for policy violations, and used to train AI models, potentially exposing your communications.
In certain apps, you may be able to chat with other users of the Times Services through direct messages or send other users links to puzzles or games. We collect the content of those messages along with your use of any corresponding chat features—e.g., blocking, muting, or reporting another user to us. We may use automated scanning and moderation technology to monitor users' direct messages in order to identify any violations of an applicable Acceptable Use Policy and/or our Terms of Service and to help ensure a safe and respectful experience for you and other users. This information may be used to train AI models for these purposes.
**• For User-Generated Content**, paragraph 3 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence
User information provided in financial incentive programs is used for targeted advertising and shared with third parties.
Personal information collected as part of Incentive Programs may be interpreted as "financial incentive" programs under California law and used for targeted advertising. This information may be shared with data analytics providers, advertising technology vendors, and social media platforms.
Why it matters: If you participate in incentive programs, your personal information may be used for targeted advertising and shared with various third parties, increasing your exposure to advertisements.
Because these Incentive Programs involve the collection of personal information, they may be interpreted as “financial incentive” programs under California law (or other similar concept under another law). We use this information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy including for targeted advertising. We may share your personal information with third parties as described in this Privacy Policy, including data analytics providers, advertising technology vendors, and social media platforms.
**• For Contests, Sweepstakes and Special Offers;****Notice of Financial Incentives**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
medium95% confidence
AI tools may be used to review and respond to customer support emails, and chat sessions recorded for quality assurance, training, and AI model training.
When engaging with AI chatbots or emailing customer care teams, AI tools may be used to provide support, review, and respond to emails. Chat sessions will be recorded for quality assurance and training, and may be used for training AI models. Providing information in a chat session implies consent to recording.
Why it matters: Your customer support interactions via chat or email may be handled or reviewed by AI, and chat sessions are recorded and can be used to train AI models, potentially impacting the privacy of your communications.
In addition, if you email our Customer Care teams, we may use AI tools to review and respond to your email. When you engage with our AI chatbot, by clicking “Begin Chat”, you consent to being connected to an AI chatbot for New York Times support. This chatbot relies on generative AI to provide you with customer support and answers to common questions. Your chat session will be recorded for quality assurance and training and may be used for training AI models. Please do not provide information in a chat session that you do not want recorded.
**• For Reader Surveys, Research, Panels and Experience Programs**, paragraph 9 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use and Sharing
3 findings
These findings describe how your data is collected, processed, and shared with others, focusing on practices that might be unexpected or go beyond what is strictly necessary for service delivery.
medium90% confidence
Information from other users or third-party databases may be collected about you.
Other users can provide your information (name, display name, email) through features like refer-a-friend campaigns or by granting access to their contact lists. Marketing, data analytics, and social media databases also provide access to public data, survey data, gender, age, household income, and other demographic information about you.
Why it matters: Your personal information, including demographic and contact details, may be collected about you from other users or third-party databases without your direct input, potentially expanding the data held about you by the service.
Other users of the Times Service may provide us with your information (including your name, display name, and email address) – for example as part of a refer-a-friend campaign or as they provide access to their contact list or friend list on a third-party service. We will only collect and use information from other users for the purposes disclosed to the user and, where required by local law, in accordance with your authorization (which includes where you have consented to be discoverable in one of our apps for the purpose of enabling friends and other contacts to connect with you through Times Services).
The service infers new information about your preferences using machine learning, which may include third-party services.
The service infers new information about users' likely preferences or characteristics, such as article topics or writers of interest, using automated means like machine learning, including third-party machine learning services or large language models. These inferences are used for personalization, service improvement, marketing, and creating audiences for third-party advertisers.
Why it matters: The service generates new information about your likely preferences and characteristics through machine learning (including third-party services) and uses it to personalize content, ads, and market services, which could impact the content and advertisements you encounter.
We infer new information from other data we collect, including using automated means such as machine learning, which may include third party machine learning services or large language models. These inferences include information about your likely preferences or other characteristics (e.g., article topics, writers, teams or markets of interest to you). As described below, we use these inferences for purposes of personalization, to improve our services, to market Times Services to you and to create audiences for third party advertisers and for marketing on other sites and services.
_**1. (B) Inferences; Information We Create or Generate**_, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
low90% confidence
Voluntary surveys can collect sensitive personal information, which is shared with service providers and used for marketing.
Some surveys and feedback programs may request voluntary provision of sensitive information like age, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, family characteristics, and income. This personal information is shared with service provider platforms that support these programs. These surveys are also used for marketing of Times Services and for third-party advertisers.
Why it matters: Voluntarily sharing sensitive personal information in surveys may lead to it being shared with service providers and used for advertising purposes, potentially increasing your exposure to targeted ads.
_Surveys and Panels:_ Some of our surveys and feedback programs, including panels, will request your consent to provide on a purely voluntary basis information regarding your interests in various topics, including travel, entertainment and health and wellness, as well as demographic information, some of which may be considered sensitive under applicable laws such as your age, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, family characteristics and income. We use service provider platforms to support these programs and personal information is shared with them as described [below](https://privacy.theathletic.com/#3-b-with-service-providers-36) with respect to service providers in general.
**• For Reader Surveys, Research, Panels and Experience Programs**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation and Renewal
All clear
These findings cover policies related to subscription renewals, cancellation procedures, and any associated fees or conditions. They highlight terms that might make it difficult to stop using a service or incur unexpected costs.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
2 findings
These findings capture other less common but important policy clauses that could be disadvantageous to users, including unexpected limitations, disclaimers, or permissions granted to the service.
low95% confidence
Cookies and similar technologies are essential for accessing certain parts of the website.
If your browser does not accept cookies or similar technologies, you will not be able to access certain sections of the service's websites, such as your account on nytimes.com.
Why it matters: You may be unable to access certain parts of the service's websites if your browser is configured to block cookies or similar technologies, potentially limiting your use of the service.
If your browser doesn’t accept our cookies or similar technologies, you can’t access certain parts of our websites (_e.g.,_ your account on nytimes.com)_
The service does not guarantee publication of user content and can remove or edit it if legally required.
The service is not obligated to publish any content provided by users. In cases where the law requires content to be taken down, removed, or edited, the service will comply.
Why it matters: The service has no obligation to publish your content, and can remove or edit it without your consent if legally mandated, meaning your creative work or contributions may not be publicly displayed or may be altered.
We do not have to publish any of your content. If the law requires us to take down, remove or edit your content, we will comply.
**• For User-Generated Content**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Protections
0 findings
These findings highlight commitments and features that are designed to protect users, offering benefits such as data control, privacy enhancements, or clear recourse mechanisms.
✓
Looking good
No source-backed concerns shown
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