When I saw the new Activity tab on my Medium profile, my first reaction was not curiosity.

It was curiosity mixed with a little panic.

I have been active on Medium since September 2025. Not casually. I mean actually showing up — writing about AI, productivity, Notion templates. My most active months were November and December. I have readers who clap, share, and comment. And I am genuinely grateful for every single one of them.

But this new tab? Well. I had questions.

So what does this tab actually show?

Claps. Responses. Highlights.

Not just the comments people leave on your stories. The responses you wrote on other people's stories. Sitting there. Visible. On your public profile. For anyone to scroll through.

I don't know Medium's full vision behind this. Maybe it's about building community. Maybe it's about helping readers discover writers through their conversations. Maybe someone at Medium just had a very productive Monday.

But the moment I saw it, one question hit me —

Is our privacy gone?

Wait — Medium Actually Told Us.

Okay here is where I have to be honest.

Medium sent an email on March 7th. Twelve days ago. Subject line: "Product update: Profile activity tab. Choose what shows up."

They told us. They explained what the tab shows. They even said we could manage our privacy settings before the launch. I just… may have skimmed it. Or filed it somewhere in my brain next to "I will read this later."

We all do that with product update emails, right?

So in fairness to Medium — they were not silent. They gave us a heads up. They gave us control. I was just busy being a writer and not reading my emails like a responsible adult.

Is it really an invasion then?

Okay let's be honest now that I have calmed down.

Everything showing in that Activity tab — Medium already had that data. Your claps, your responses, your highlights. None of it was ever truly private. It was just… not displayed.

So has anything actually changed? Or does it just feel different now because it's visible?

I think that feeling is worth acknowledging. Even if the data was always there, there is something psychologically different about it being surfaced publicly. It changes how you might engage. And that shift — however small — is worth a conversation.

Honestly? I Already Write Comments Carefully. Since September.

Here is something I have not said out loud before.

I already write responses too carefully since September itself. Every word, every reaction — I think twice before hitting post. Not because I have something to hide. But because words carry weight and I try to be mindful of that.

So in a way, this Activity tab just made official what I was already doing in my head.

And maybe that is not a bad thing. Maybe being thoughtful about how we engage with other writers is actually good for this community. Medium has always been more about genuine conversation than quick hot takes. This tab might quietly encourage more of that.

What changes for me? Honestly, nothing.

I will keep writing. I will keep responding wherever I genuinely have something to say. I will keep clapping when something actually moves me.

If that is now visible on my profile — good. I have nothing to hide. Except maybe the number of times I clapped for my own article by mistake.

If anything, maybe this is Medium nudging us all to engage more intentionally. To comment like it matters.

Because apparently now — it shows.

Want to Hide Your Activity Tab?

Simple. Takes 10 seconds.

Go to your Profile Settings → scroll down to Activity Tab → you will see three checkboxes:

• Claps
• Responses
• Highlights

Uncheck whichever you want hidden. Done.

Medium lets you change it anytime. So you are always in control.

(Available on web only. Not on the app.)

One small question before I go:

Does seeing someone's responses on other people's stories change how you see them as a writer?

I genuinely don't know. But I think it is worth asking.

Drop a comment. I promise I will read it carefully. Very carefully. As always.

And yes — I am open for criticism. Come at me. Nicely though. My Activity tab is public now.

I have been writing on Medium since September 2025. If you found this useful or made you smile even once, a clap means a lot. And yes — I will now see if you comment somewhere else too.