Max
- 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.
WarnerMedia collects lots of viewing, device, and partner data and uses it for ads, with some opt-outs.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account info, what you watch, device IDs, location, social data, and extra data from partners.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“This information may include personal information (e.g., name, phone number, postal address, email address, and certain payment information), technical information (e.g., device identifier, IP address, browser type, operating system) and usage information”
Training
They use it to run the service, personalize it, market to you, and show targeted ads.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may also use Information to offer, market, and advertise products, programs, and services from us and our affiliates, business partners, and select third parties that we believe may be of interest to you”
Sharing
Service providers, WarnerMedia affiliates, and marketing partners can get your information.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may also share Information with business partners and third parties (e.g., other companies, retailers, research organizations, advertisers, ad agencies, advertising networks and platforms”
Kept
The policy does not say how long they keep your data.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“To access, delete, or correct personal information that we have collected about you online from Sites on which this Privacy Policy is posted, please log into your account if you have created one with us.”
Controls
You can opt out of some ads and marketing, and log in to access or delete data.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“To opt out of our own collection, use, and transfer of data as described above for interest-based or targeted advertising, please visit our Opt-Out page”
Fine print
They post a site notice for big policy changes; we could not read terms on accounts or payments.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We will notify you about material changes to this Privacy Policy by placing a notice on our Sites.”
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.
Opt out of their targeted advertising
https://www.warnermediaprivacy.com/opt-out/
Turn off precise location for the app
Your mobile device settings
Update marketing and third-party sharing preferences
Log in to your account settings, or email wmprivacy@warnermedia.com
Access or delete personal information
Log into your account on the Site
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
The app can collect your exact location from your phone, not just your country.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you access our Sites on your mobile device, we may collect Information about your device’s precise location.”
For example, opening Max on your phone could let them know where you are standing, unless you turn location off in device settings.
They and other companies track you so ads can follow you around the internet and on other devices.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We, our affiliates, or third parties may use and transfer this information, including third party information, in order to help serve advertising that may be more relevant to your interests on and off our Sites and across your devices and browsers.”
For example, a show you watch on Max could be used to show you ads later in another app.
They can give your information to outside companies that want to sell you things.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We may also share Information with business partners and third parties (e.g., other companies, retailers, research organizations, advertisers, ad agencies, advertising networks and platforms, participatory databases, publishers, and non-profit organizations) that may want to market products or services to you.”
For example, a retailer or ad network could get data so they can send you their own marketing.
Some face-scanning features are not only used in the moment; they may be used for research and product work.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Other facial scanning technology may be used for research, analytics, and enhancing consumer experiences.”
For example, if an AR filter scans your face, that tech might also be used to study and improve experiences.
They mix what they already know about you with data bought or received from other companies.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We also supplement or combine Information with Information from a variety of other sources or outside records, including third-party data providers that provide us with Information such as demographics, transaction and purchase history”
For example, they might add purchase history from another company to your Max profile.
You can say no to sharing your personal information with outside companies for their marketing.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If we share personal information with such unaffiliated third parties for their own marketing purposes, we provide you with an opportunity to opt out of such uses either at the point of collection or through the choice mechanisms set forth in this Privacy Policy.”
For example, you can email wmprivacy@warnermedia.com or change settings in your account to stop that sharing.
There is a webpage where you can turn off their own targeted advertising collection.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“To opt out of our own collection, use, and transfer of data as described above for interest-based or targeted advertising, please visit our Opt-Out page (https://www.warnermediaprivacy.com/opt-out/) to opt-out.”
For example, you can open that opt-out page and follow the steps so they use less of your data for targeted ads.
They say they use basic security, but they do not promise it cannot be breached.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We have put in place reasonable controls designed to help safeguard the personal information we collect via the Sites.”
For example, they admit they cannot assure you that your personal information will never be accessed without permission.
Age checks are based on what you type in, not a strong ID check on every site.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“On some Sites, we may ask the user to provide us with the user's age information.”
For example, a child could type an older age and still get through on some sites.
If they change the rules in a big way, they put a notice on the website rather than always emailing you.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We will notify you about material changes to this Privacy Policy by placing a notice on our Sites.”
For example, you might miss a change unless you visit the site and see the notice.
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.
- device identifiers
- Codes that single out your phone or computer, used to recognise you across apps and sites. For example, the advertising ID on your phone lets two unrelated apps know they are seeing the same person.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- precise geolocation
- Your exact position, usually from GPS, often accurate to within a few metres. For example, an app can tell not just your city but which building you are in right now.
How we got here · grade D · score 37/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 6 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and payment details, what you watch, device IDs, precise location, contacts you import, social data, and extra data from outside companies.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
They may record voice or text chat for support and moderation. Some face scanning stays on the device during AR; other face scanning may be used for research and analytics.
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 chat recordings for moderation are to address possible abuses of the terms or other user concerns, plus customer service.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They and third parties collect data across sites and apps for interest-based ads. You can opt out through industry tools and their opt-out page.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share with affiliates and with outside partners for marketing, and they say you can opt out of sharing with unaffiliated third parties for those partners’ marketing.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Not stated in the documents.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can log into your account to access, delete, or correct data, and some US states have extra rights. The policy does not say how quickly data is gone.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
Not stated in the documents.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They say they use reasonable controls to protect personal information, but they cannot promise it will never be accessed without permission.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
On most sites they say they do not knowingly collect from children. On some sites they ask you to give your age and limit collection if you say you are under 13.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The policy is dated 12/14/2022. They say they will put a notice on the sites for material changes, but they do not give clear retention times.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
Not stated in the documents.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
Not stated in the documents.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Not stated in the documents.
The privacy policy is 4,849 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 34.7).
