Medium offers meaningful privacy controls, no-sale language, and relatively clear account data tools, but these are offset by broad tracking, international transfers, strong liability limits, account/content moderation discretion, and mandatory arbitration with a class action waiver unless you opt out within 30 days.
Medium’s policies are fairly standard for a publishing platform: it collects account, activity, device, and tracking data; shares data with vendors, affiliates, and in legal or business-transfer contexts; and requires arbitration for most disputes unless you opt out quickly. On the positive side, it says it does not sell personal information, offers account access/correction/export/deletion tools, provides some legal-process notice, and states a 14-day deletion timeline for closed accounts in covered regions.
Points of interest
Most disputes must go to individual binding arbitration, and you waive class actions unless you opt out within 30 days. This makes it harder to sue in court or join with other users over small-value claims.
"mandatory arbitration, and class action waiver unless you opt out within 30 days"
If Medium harms you, its financial exposure is heavily limited. Most claims are capped at the greater of $50 or the amount you paid, which can leave users undercompensated.
"caps most total claims at the greater of $50 or amounts you paid"
Medium expressly says it does not sell personal information. That is a meaningful privacy protection compared with services that monetize user data through sale or sharing arrangements.
"Medium does not sell your personal information."
Users can access, correct, delete, and export account information through Settings. Self-service controls make it easier to leave the service or review what Medium holds about you.
"You may access, correct, delete and export your account information at any time"
You keep ownership of what you post, but you grant Medium a worldwide, sublicensable, royalty-free license to use and display it within the service. That is common for hosting platforms, but still gives Medium broad operational rights over your content.
"give Medium a worldwide, sublicensable, royalty-free license to use and display it"
Medium may remove content or suspend or terminate accounts at its discretion. For users who rely on the platform, that creates platform-dependence risk with limited recourse.
"suspend or terminate accounts at any time"
Medium tracks reading history, clicks, device data, and uses cookies plus third-party analytics to analyze behavior and target content to your interests. This means substantial behavioral monitoring beyond simple account operation.
"we use tracking technologies, such as cookies and web beacons... third party analytics providers... analyze and track data"
For covered users, Medium says closed-account data will be deleted within 14 days. A specific deletion timeline is more user-friendly than an open-ended retention promise.
"If you close your account, we will delete your account data within 14 days."
Medium says it will notify you about legal-process disclosures so you can challenge them, unless prohibited or safety concerns apply. It also says it will object to improper requests.
"we will give you notice so you can challenge it... We will object to legal requests... that we believe are improper"
Your information may be processed in the United States and other countries where protections may differ from your home jurisdiction. This can reduce practical control or change the legal safeguards that apply.
"may transfer your personal information to... jurisdictions that may not provide levels of data protection"
Third-party embeds on Medium pages can send those companies information about your activity as if you visited them directly. Medium says it does not control what those third parties collect through embeds.
"When you interact with an Embed, it can send information about your interaction to the hosting third party"
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Documents
Terms of Service
source ↗- •Using Medium means you agree to its Terms, Rules, Privacy Policy, mandatory arbitration, and class action waiver unless you opt out within 30 days.
- •You must be at least 13, follow applicable laws and Medium’s Rules, protect your account, and only share content you have rights to use.
- •You keep ownership of content you post, but give Medium a worldwide, sublicensable, royalty-free license to use and display it within Medium’s services.
- •Medium may review content, remove material that violates its rules or others’ intellectual property rights, and suspend or terminate accounts at any time.
- •Medium may process, transfer, and store your information in the United States and other countries, where legal protections may differ.
- •If you provide others’ personal information to Medium, you promise you collected it lawfully, gave required notices, got required consents, and will not sell it.
- •The service and user content are provided "as is" without warranties, and Medium disclaims responsibility for accuracy, reliability, errors, and third-party content.
- •Where legally allowed, Medium limits liability for indirect damages and caps most total claims at the greater of $50 or amounts you paid.
- •Before filing a claim, you must first send Medium written notice and try informal resolution for 30 days; most disputes then go to individual binding arbitration.
- •Arbitration uses JAMS rules, may occur in your home county if you are a consumer, and claims generally must be filed within one year.
Privacy Policy
source ↗- •Medium collects account details, content, activity, device, cookie, and transaction data, plus some information from third parties and connected social accounts.
- •Medium uses data to run and improve the service, personalize content, process memberships, send messages, detect fraud, and comply with legal obligations.
- •If you post or interact publicly, some profile details and activity may be visible to other users.
- •Medium shares data with vendors, other users, affiliates, lawyers, legal authorities, and parties involved in mergers or acquisitions.
- •Medium says it does not collect payment information directly and relies on third-party payment processors for payments.
- •You can access, correct, delete, and export account information through settings, and you can opt out of some communications and mobile notifications.
- •You can usually block or remove cookies in your browser, but this may affect service functionality.
- •Medium does not sell personal information and says California users can request access, deletion, and correction, subject to verification and limits.
- •For EEA, UK, and Switzerland users, Medium relies on contract, legitimate interests, legal duty, or consent, and you may complain to regulators.
- •Medium may transfer data to the United States and other countries, and account data is deleted within 14 days after account closure for covered users.
