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Reddit Privacy Summary
Social Media
high Risk
Reddit is a public community platform where users post, discuss, and share content across topic-based forums (subreddits) and engage via comments and chats.
Quick Summary
- What They Collect: Account, posts/comments, private messages, device and cookie data, IP-based location, payment details (when used).
- How They Use & Share It: Provide and personalize services, serve/measure ads, share with service providers, affiliates, and lawful requests.
- Your Rights: Access, correct, delete, opt-out of personalized ads, control cookies, and jurisdiction-specific rights (EEA/CA/US) (short requests available).
Why You Should Care About Reddit's Privacy Practices
- Public posts and usernames are visible and can be indexed; avoid posting sensitive personal data to public subreddits.
- Reddit collects private messages, IP and device data, and payment details, enabling targeted ads and profiling for personalization.
- Reddit’s content and communities influence daily information and may affect reputation and discoverability across search engines and AI systems.
- Account deletion disassociates profiles but public content can persist; consider manual removal of sensitive posts before deleting your account.
Privacy Highlights
What They Collect
- Account information
- User content and files (posts, comments, messages, uploads)
- Demographic information
- Feedback data
- Payment information
How They Share Data
- Business affiliates
- Service providers (payment processors, cloud hosts, analytics)
- Third-party partners (linked services, embeds, developer/API clients)
- Advertising partners / ad measurement providers
Data Retention
Reddit retains personal data as long as needed to provide services, comply with law, and for legitimate business purposes; some identifiers (e.g., IPs) are deleted after specific windows (IP addresses except account-creation IP deleted after 100 days), but other data may be retained longer or in anonymized form .
Your Rights
- Access data
- Rectify data
- Erase or limit processing
- Object to processing
Detailed Analysis
Concerning Practices
- Much user content is public by default and can be indexed or reused
- Collects extensive behavioral and device data for personalization and ads
- Shares identifiers and cookie IDs with ad/measurement providers
- Cross-border transfers (international data transfers to U.S. and other countries)
- Retains certain identifiers and data for business/anti-abuse purposes
- Limited standard Do Not Track handling (no automatic response)
- Public content and developer/API access can result in broad redistribution
Personal Data Types
Account informationUser content and files (posts, comments, messages, uploads)Demographic informationFeedback dataPayment informationProfile informationSales and marketing dataSupport dataBrowser informationGeolocation information (IP-based)Service usage informationWebsite usage data (logs, cookies)Information from other usersPublicly available information
Tracking Methods
Essential cookiesAnalytics cookiesAdvertising cookiesSocial media cookies (embedded content/links)Pixel tags / third-party trackers (ad measurement)Web beaconsLocal storage and similar technologies
Third Parties
Business affiliatesService providers (payment processors, cloud hosts, analytics)Third-party partners (linked services, embeds, developer/API clients)Advertising partners / ad measurement providersGovernment authoritiesLaw enforcement
User Controls
Access dataRectify dataErase or limit processingObject to processingData portabilityWithdraw consentOpt-out of marketingDelete account
Frequently Asked Questions About Reddit
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Legal Disclaimer
This analysis is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as legal advice. Consult with legal professionals for matters requiring legal guidance.