Battlenet
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- The policy describes staff access for safety and legal checks.
They collect lots of play and ad data, share with affiliates, take a forever license on posts.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account info, chats, voice, gameplay, device data, IP location, and partner data like friends lists.
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Privacy policy
“Personal information collected may include your name, home address, phone number, and/or e-mail address.”
Training
They run games, fight cheating and toxic chat, personalize content, and run targeted ads with partners.
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Privacy policy
“We also use this information to secure our services and user accounts, to prevent cheating and fraud, to monitor for toxicity, and to enforce our agreements with you.”
Sharing
Service providers, affiliates for their own ads, linked platforms, and third-party ad networks can get data.
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Privacy policy
“We may share your personal information with our affiliated companies, available here, including for our affiliated or subsidiary companies’ own marketing purposes (such as personalized advertisements).”
Kept
They keep data as long as they need it for business, law, or investigations; deletion is by request.
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Privacy policy
“We determine the retention period for each of the categories of personal information listed above based on (1) the length of time we need to retain the information to achieve the business or commercial purpose for which it was obtained”
Controls
You can unsubscribe, manage cookies, opt out of game-data sharing, and via a webform.
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Privacy policy
“To remove having your game-data available to our community of application developers, opt-out of game-data sharing in the Privacy section of Battle.net account management.”
Fine print
Posts get a forever license; you them.
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Terms of service
“You hereby grant to Blizzard a , , worldwide, fully paid up, non-exclusive, , right and license to exploit the User Content”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Request account deletion
Online webform linked from the privacy policy (US rights section); California also 1-877-566-3886
Turn off game-data sharing
Privacy section of Battle.net account management
Opt out of targeted ads
Cookie controls, DAA/NAI opt-out pages, Battle.net account settings, website footer, or mobile game privacy settings
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Anything you post on the site can be copied, changed, sold, or given to others forever, even after you leave.
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Terms of service
“You hereby grant to Blizzard a , , worldwide, fully paid up, non-exclusive, , right and license to exploit the User Content and all elements thereof, in any and all media”
For example, a forum post you write could be reused in ads or other products without paying you.
If someone sues them because of how you used the site, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree to defend and Blizzard, its parent, subsidiaries, licensors and affiliates against and from any third party claims, liabilities, losses, injuries, damages, costs or expenses incurred by Blizzard arising out of or from your use of the Site.”
For example, if a comment you posted leads to a lawsuit, they can ask you to cover their costs.
Outside ad companies can track you across sites to show interest-based ads.
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Privacy policy
“Our ad network partners may use tracking technologies to collect information about your activities on this and other websites to provide you targeted advertising based upon your interests.”
For example, browsing a game page could later show you ads for that game on another website.
Sister companies can use your data for their own ads, under their own privacy rules.
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Privacy policy
“We may share your personal information with our affiliated companies, available here, including for our affiliated or subsidiary companies’ own marketing purposes (such as personalized advertisements).”
For example, another Activision Blizzard brand could email you promotions based on your Battle.net info.
In-game chat and similar messages can be recorded and reviewed to catch abuse, cheats, or rule breaks.
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Privacy policy
“Blizzard may monitor and/or record your communications (including without limitation chat text) when you are using a product or service for toxicity analysis, to prevent cheating and fraud, or for enforcement”
For example, a voice or text rant in a match could be stored and used in a ban decision.
If you use speech-to-text, your voice is turned into text; they say that transcription is deleted after toxicity checks.
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Privacy policy
“By using the speech to text feature in voice chat, you understand that your communications, including voice, may be used for transcription of speech to text, including for accessibility purposes.”
For example, saying a slur in voice chat could be transcribed, reviewed, then the transcript deleted.
Linking social or console accounts can pull your name, friends, email, and play data into Blizzard.
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Privacy policy
“If you register an account using another company’s credentials such as Facebook credentials, the following information may be collected: (1) your first and last name and other information made publicly available by you, (2) your friends list”
For example, signing in with Facebook can copy your friends list into their systems.
You can ask them to delete your account through their form, but everything in that account is gone for good.
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Privacy policy
“The deletion of a Battle.net account is permanent and cannot be reversed; also, all games, assets and history will also be permanently deleted.”
For example, deleting Battle.net would wipe purchased games and play history, not just your email.
Kids under 13 are blocked if they say they are under 13; there is no extra ID check described.
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Privacy policy
“Once a child states that his/her age is under 13, they will be unable to register an account with us. We do not knowingly collect or store any personally identifiable information from children under 13.”
For example, a 12-year-old who types a fake older birthday could still create an account.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- targeted advertising
- Ads chosen for you based on what you have done across other apps and websites, not just this one. For example, you look at shoes in one app and see shoe ads in a totally different app the next day.
- retention
- How long a company keeps your data before deleting it. For example, a policy might keep your messages for 30 days after you delete them, or for as long as it likes.
- opt out
- Something is on by default and stays on until you find the setting and turn it off. For example, your chats may be used for training unless you go into settings and switch it off.
- perpetual
- Lasting forever, with no end date. For example, a perpetual licence means the company can keep using your video years after you leave.
- irrevocable
- Cannot be taken back or cancelled once given, even if you change your mind or delete your account. For example, an irrevocable licence to your photos means you cannot withdraw it later.
- sublicensable
- The company can pass its rights over your content on to other companies without asking you. For example, an app can let an advertiser or a partner reuse your video under the licence you gave.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- tracking pixels
- Tiny invisible images or bits of code in a page, app or email that report back when and where you opened it. For example, a pixel in a marketing email tells the sender the moment you read it.
How we got here · grade D · score 39/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 2 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and payment data plus chats, gameplay, hardware, IP location, browsing paths, cookies, and partner data such as friends lists.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
Voice and chat can be monitored and recorded for toxicity, cheating, and rules. Speech-to-text transcripts are deleted after that review.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
Not stated in the documents.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They say they monitor and record communications for toxicity, cheating, fraud, and enforcing their rules, and they give notice when monitoring.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Third-party ad networks track activity on this and other sites to show targeted ads; industry opt-outs are offered.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they do not currently “sell” data as they define it, but share with affiliates, linked companies, and ad partners, with some opt-outs.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
If you post content on the website, you give Blizzard a perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable license to use it in any media.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
They keep data for business, legal, and investigation needs. US users can request deletion through an online webform; a Battle.net delete is permanent.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They build inferences such as interests and reputation for personalization, but do not describe viewing, editing, or turning that profile off.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They describe general security steps and say sites with this policy are reviewed and certified by ESRB Privacy Certified.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
If someone says they are under 13 they cannot register. Age is self-stated; teens 13–15 are auto opted out of targeted ads in some states.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Both documents are dated. Material privacy changes are posted on the site; terms apply going forward when the last-revised date changes.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
The website license can be revoked at any time. Breaking the Code of Conduct can end access; no export-before-close process is described here.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The site is “as is,” they disclaim warranties and damages, and you must defend and indemnify them for claims from your use.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Not stated in the documents.
The privacy policy is 8,083 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 35.6); the terms are 3,103 words at a college graduate level.
