Wikipedia
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- The policy rules out using your data for targeted ads.
- Data is shared only with the providers who run the service.
- The policy describes staff access for safety and legal checks.
Edits are public forever; they collect little personal data, do not sell it, and keep most private logs about 90 days.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Optional account, your public edits, IP address, device and browser data, cookies, and sometimes location.
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Privacy policy
“This information includes the type of device you are using (possibly including unique device identification numbers, for some beta versions of our mobile applications), the type and version of your browser”
Training
They use it to run the sites, fight abuse, and improve Wikipedia—not to sell ads about you.
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Privacy policy
“We do not sell or rent your Personal Information, nor do we give it to others to sell you anything.”
Sharing
Your edits are public; staff, volunteer admins, and service providers may see limited private data.
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Privacy policy
“Whatever you post on Wikimedia Sites can be seen and used by everyone.”
Kept
Public edits stay forever; most other personal information is gone after about 90 days.
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Privacy policy
“In most instances, Personal Information is deleted, or after 90 days.”
Controls
You can skip an account, hide some profile info, and email them to ask about your data.
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Privacy policy
“If you would like to request to access, update or restrict/object to the processing of Personal Information, or receive a copy of your Personal Information”
Fine print
Edits are freely licensed forever; they can block you without notice; lawsuits go to California courts.
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Terms of service
“we reserve the right to suspend or end the services at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.”
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.
Ask to access or delete personal information
Email privacy@wikimedia.org or use Contact Us as described in the Privacy Policy
Download or update account data in Preferences
Registered users: Preferences and Notifications Preferences on the Wikimedia Sites
Turn off device GPS and photo metadata before upload
Your mobile device settings, as described in the Location Information section
Disable cookies or locally stored data in your browser
Browser settings; some site features may stop working
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Whatever you write or change on Wikipedia can be seen by anyone, forever, even if you later regret it.
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Privacy policy
“Any content you add or any change that you make to a Wikimedia Site will be publicly and permanently available.”
For example, if you edit an article from your home, that edit stays in the public history under your username or temporary account.
You cannot fully delete a Wikipedia account because your public edits have to stay tied to an author.
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Privacy policy
“Once created, user accounts cannot be removed entirely (although you can usually hide the information on your user page if you choose to).”
For example, even if you stop using Wikipedia, your old username can still show up on pages you edited.
You give the public a free license to copy and reuse your writing, and you cannot take that license back later.
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Terms of service
“you agree that you will not unilaterally revoke or seek invalidation of any license that you have granted under these Terms of Use”
For example, a company could reprint your Wikipedia paragraph under CC BY-SA even after you leave.
They can shut off your access without warning.
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Terms of service
“we reserve the right to suspend or end the services at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.”
For example, your account could be blocked and you might not get a heads-up email first.
If something goes wrong, they say they will not pay more than $1,000.
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Terms of service
“In no event shall our exceed one thousand U.S. dollars (US$1,000.00) in aggregate.”
For example, even if a site outage cost you more, their terms cap what they might owe.
Volunteer admins can see some private details about recent edits to stop vandalism and enforce rules.
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Privacy policy
“Certain administrators of the Wikimedia Sites, who are chosen by the community, use tools that grant them limited access to nonpublic information about recent contributions”
For example, a CheckUser volunteer might look at IP data if someone is suspected of sockpuppeting.
They say they will not sell or rent your personal information.
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Privacy policy
“We do not rent or sell your Personal Information to third parties.”
For example, they say they will not give your email to a company that wants to market products to you.
Private logs like IPs are usually not kept in identifiable form for long.
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Privacy policy
“In most instances, Personal Information is deleted, or after 90 days.”
For example, a visit log tied to your IP is typically cleaned up after about three months.
Big privacy-rule changes are posted for public comment before they take effect.
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Privacy policy
“Substantial changes to this Policy will not be made until after a public comment period of at least 30 days.”
For example, if they wanted to keep logs longer, they would open a 30-day comment period first.
They do not drop other companies’ ad cookies unless you agree.
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Privacy policy
“We will never use third-party cookies, unless we get your permission to do so.”
For example, a random advertiser should not get a tracking cookie just because you read Wikipedia.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- 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.
- de-identified
- Data with your name and obvious identifiers removed, though it can sometimes still be traced back to you. For example, your chats with names stripped out may still be kept and studied after you delete your account.
- limitation of liability
- A cap on what the company will ever pay you if something goes wrong, often only what you paid in the last year. For example, if a leak of your data costs you thousands, the most you may get back is a month's subscription fee.
- 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.
- cookies
- Small files a website saves on your device so it can recognise you and remember what you did. For example, a cookie keeps you logged in and can also tell an ad company which sites you visited.
How we got here · grade B · score 55/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 3 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
Besides public edits and optional account details, they automatically collect IP address, browser and device data, cookies, and similar usage information. GPS is only with consent.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
These documents do not describe collecting voice, face, or body data as a biometric identifier.
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?
Volunteer administrators can access limited nonpublic data to enforce policies, fight vandalism, and for legal or safety reasons.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They say they do not share personal information for marketing and will not use third-party cookies without permission.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they do not sell or rent personal information. They share it with service providers, for legal reasons, and with some researchers under protections.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Your contributions are public and you must license text under CC BY-SA and GFDL so anyone can reuse it. You cannot revoke that license.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
Public edits and accounts cannot be fully removed. Most other personal information is deleted or de-identified after 90 days; extra deletion is by request.
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 describe access controls, firewalls, and physical security, but say they cannot guarantee no breach.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
Not stated in the documents.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The policies are dated. Substantial privacy and terms changes get at least 30 days of public comment, though continued use still counts as acceptance.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can suspend or end services or block you with or without cause and without notice. Public edits stay up.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is “as is,” with no warranties, and their liability is capped at $1,000.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
These Wikipedia site terms do not describe a paid subscription for using the encyclopedia.
The privacy policy is 7,857 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 41.3); the terms are 7,777 words at a college graduate level.
