Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
The New York Times privacy policy contains several areas of concern. Your direct messages are subject to monitoring and can be used to train AI models (risk_flags-3). Any content you post publicly, along with personal information, can be read, collected, and used by anyone (risk_flags-1). Chat sessions with AI chatbots may be recorded and used for training AI models (risk_flags-2). Your email address and other personal data may be shared with third parties for marketing purposes, potentially constituting a “sale” (risk_flags-4). Additionally, third-party advertising vendors may combine your data with information from other clients to target ads more broadly, and pseudonymized email addresses shared with vendors might be used for other clients' products. The service also collects precise geolocation for targeted advertising and uses inferred data to create audiences for third-party advertisers (data_use-2). Lastly, failing to accept cookies may restrict access to parts of the website.
88% confidence
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Risk Flags
4 findings
Critical issues that need immediate attention, such as arbitration clauses or class-action waivers. These often have substantial legal or financial implications for users.
high95% confidence
Content you post can be read, collected, and used by anyone
Any personal information that accompanies your posts on user-generated content features can be read, collected, and used by anyone.
Why it matters: Users should be aware that any personal information included in their public posts can be accessed and used by others without restriction.
We offer you the ability to post content that other users can read ( e.g., comments or recipe notes). Anyone can read, collect and use any personal information that accompanies your posts.
• For User-Generated Content, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
AI models may be trained on chat session content
Your chat sessions with AI chatbots may be recorded and used for training AI models. If you email Customer Care, AI tools may review and respond to your email.
Why it matters: Information shared during chat sessions or emails to Customer Care, including personal details, may be used to train AI models without explicit opt-out for specific data.
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. Similarly, if you e-mail us, you consent to your email being forwarded to an AI tool that relies on generative AI to review and respond to your email with customer support.
• For User-Generated Content, paragraph 5 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
Direct messages are monitored and can be used to train AI models
Automated scanning and moderation technology may be used to monitor users' direct messages to identify policy violations and ensure a safe experience. This information may be used to train AI models.
Why it matters: Users' private direct messages can be monitored, reviewed, and used to train AI models, potentially exposing private communications to automated analysis.
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 1 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
Personal information may be shared with third parties for marketing purposes, potentially considered a "sale"
Your email address and other personal information may be shared with third parties for marketing Times Services across third-party sites and for third-party advertising on Times Services. These emails may or may not be hashed. The disclosure of information for matched ads may be considered a "sale" under some jurisdictions' laws.
Why it matters: Users' personal information, including email addresses, could be shared with various third parties for extensive marketing and advertising purposes, potentially without clear hashing, and may constitute a 'sale' of personal data.
For example, as discussed above in Section 2(G) and (H) , we share your email address and other personal information with third parties both for marketing of Times Services across third party sites and services, and to support matching for third party advertising on Times Services. Those emails may or may not be hashed when they are shared with third parties.
Processing your payments, paragraph 13 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use
1 finding
How the company collects, processes, and shares personal information. This includes details on data types, purposes, and third-party access.
medium90% confidence
Inferences are used to create audiences for third-party advertisers
The service infers new information about your likely preferences or characteristics using automated means like machine learning. These inferences are used to create audiences for third-party advertisers and for marketing on other sites and services.
Why it matters: The service creates inferred profiles about you based on your data, which are then used to target you with advertisements from third parties across various online platforms.
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.
(B) Inferences; Information We Create or Generate, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation and Renewal
All clear
Terms related to account cancellation, subscription renewal, and associated policies, including data retention post-cancellation.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
All clear
Less obvious but significant terms that could surprise users. These might include hidden fees, unexpected data uses, or limitations on user rights that are not immediately apparent.
✓
Looking good
No hidden gotchas
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. Nothing easy-to-miss stood out in this section.
Protections
0 findings
Commitments and features that benefit the user, such as data encryption, clear data deletion policies, or opt-out options for data sharing.
✓
Looking good
No source-backed concerns shown
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