Media servers
Plex privacy rating
Proprietary media server and client apps for streaming a personal video, music and photo library to other devices. It requires a Plex account and also offers free ad-supported movies, TV and live channels.
Summary
Plex scores 0 out of 100 (grade F) on the media servers criteria. It does not meet open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit. It is based in Switzerland: Not in the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes; GDPR-style data protection law.
Score 0 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
- No
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No
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
The privacy policy lists analytics providers, advertising IDs and optional playback data sent by default, and the Android app contains FullStory and Sentry per Exodus Privacy.
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No
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
The free streaming service shows ads, and the privacy policy describes selling and sharing personal data for targeted advertising.
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No
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
No independent audit is published.
Plex accounts are required even for a personal server. Watch history and reviews can be shared publicly or with friends depending on account privacy settings. Plex reported an unauthorized access to account data, including emails, usernames and hashed passwords, and asked users to reset their passwords.