Scribd operates independently from the major tech giants, offering slightly better privacy than Amazon-owned alternatives. However, as a venture-backed company, data monetization remains part of the business model. Reading behavior is tracked, shared with advertising partners, and used to build interest profiles. The document-sharing platform roots mean additional data concerns around user-uploaded content.
| Data Type | Collected | Shared | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening history | Yes | Analytics Partners | No |
| Content engagement patterns | Yes | Internal | No |
| Topic and genre interests | Yes | Advertisers | Ad Targeting |
| Account and payment info | Yes | Payment Processors | No |
| Device and browser data | Yes | Analytics | Unclear |
| User-uploaded documents | Yes | Platform Display | No |
Scribd tracks what you read, how long you spend on content, and which items you access most. This behavioral data informs recommendations and is shared with analytics partners.
Your reading interests are used for targeted advertising. Topic preferences, genre choices, and engagement patterns inform the ads you see on Scribd and through partner networks.
Scribd shares data with various analytics and advertising partners. While not as invasive as Amazon's ecosystem, your reading data still flows to multiple third parties.
Documents uploaded to Scribd are indexed and may appear in search results. If you upload content, it becomes part of Scribd's database and may be accessible to other users.
Your reading history builds an interest profile used across the platform. This profile persists and influences what content is recommended and how you're categorized.
Unlike Amazon or Apple services, Scribd data doesn't feed into massive cross-platform consumer profiles used across shopping, smart home, and other services.
California residents can opt out of data sales and request deletion. Scribd provides tools for exercising these privacy rights.
Paid subscription reduces reliance on advertising revenue, meaning data monetization pressure is lower than free, ad-supported alternatives.