diff --git a/synapse/handlers/message.py b/synapse/handlers/message.py
index ac9d9c1a83..345a3e0ecd 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/message.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/message.py
@@ -316,12 +316,8 @@ class EventCreationHandler(object):
                         target, e
                     )
 
-        # Check if the user has accepted the privacy policy. We only do this if
-        # the requester has an associated access_token_id, which indicates that
-        # this action came from a user request rather than an automatice server
-        # or admin action.
         is_exempt = yield self._is_exempt_from_privacy_policy(builder, requester)
-        if requester.access_token_id and not is_exempt:
+        if not is_exempt:
             yield self.assert_accepted_privacy_policy(requester)
 
         if token_id is not None:
@@ -396,6 +392,13 @@ class EventCreationHandler(object):
         if requester.app_service is not None:
             return
 
+        # Check if the user has accepted the privacy policy. We only do this if
+        # the requester has an associated access_token_id, which indicates that
+        # this action came from a user request rather than an automatice server
+        # or admin action.
+        if requester.access_token_id is None:
+            return
+
         user_id = requester.user.to_string()
 
         # exempt the system notices user