diff --git a/graph/mutators/comment.js b/graph/mutators/comment.js
index 0290d9f16..724e71917 100644
--- a/graph/mutators/comment.js
+++ b/graph/mutators/comment.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const createComment = ({user, loaders: {Comments}}, {body, asset_id, parent_id =
   .then(async (comment) => {
 
     if (user.hasRoles('ADMIN') || user.hasRoles('MODERATOR')) {
-      await CommentsService.addTag(comment.id, 'STAFF', user.id);
+      await CommentsService.addTag(comment.id, 'STAFF', user.id, 'PUBLIC');
     }
 
     // If the loaders are present, clear the caches for these values because we
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ const setCommentStatus = ({loaders: {Comments}}, {id, status}) => {
  * @param {String} id          identifier of the comment  (uuid)
  * @param {String} tag     name of the tag
  */
-const addCommentTag = ({user, loaders: {Comments}}, {id, tag}) => {
-  return CommentsService.addTag(id, tag, user.id);
+const addCommentTag = ({user, loaders: {Comments}}, {id, tag, privacy_type}) => {
+  return CommentsService.addTag(id, tag, user.id, privacy_type);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/graph/resolvers/root_mutation.js b/graph/resolvers/root_mutation.js
index 661cc9f96..d669869cd 100644
--- a/graph/resolvers/root_mutation.js
+++ b/graph/resolvers/root_mutation.js
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ const RootMutation = {
   setCommentStatus(_, {id, status}, {mutators: {Comment}}) {
     return wrapResponse(null)(Comment.setCommentStatus({id, status}));
   },
-  addCommentTag(_, {id, tag}, {mutators: {Comment}}) {
-    return wrapResponse('comment')(Comment.addCommentTag({id, tag}).then(() => CommentsService.findById(id)));
+  addCommentTag(_, {id, tag, privacy_type}, {mutators: {Comment}}) {
+    return wrapResponse('comment')(Comment.addCommentTag({id, tag, privacy_type}).then(() => CommentsService.findById(id)));
   },
   removeCommentTag(_, {id, tag}, {mutators: {Comment}}) {
     return wrapResponse('comment')(Comment.removeCommentTag({id, tag}).then(() => CommentsService.findById(id)));
diff --git a/graph/typeDefs.graphql b/graph/typeDefs.graphql
index 32c2c16c2..200e752b6 100644
--- a/graph/typeDefs.graphql
+++ b/graph/typeDefs.graphql
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ type RootMutation {
   setCommentStatus(id: ID!, status: COMMENT_STATUS!): SetCommentStatusResponse
 
   # Add tag to comment.
-  addCommentTag(id: ID!, tag: String!): AddCommentTagResponse
+  addCommentTag(id: ID!, tag: String!, privacy_type: String!): AddCommentTagResponse
 
   # Remove tag from comment.
   removeCommentTag(id: ID!, tag: String!): RemoveCommentTagResponse
diff --git a/services/comments.js b/services/comments.js
index d61b6ca25..ccb5a9131 100644
--- a/services/comments.js
+++ b/services/comments.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ module.exports = class CommentsService {
    * @param {String} name the name of the tag to add
    * @param {String} assigned_by the user id for the user who added the tag
    */
-  static addTag(id, name, assigned_by) {
+  static addTag(id, name, assigned_by, privacy_type) {
 
     return CommentModel.findOne({id})
     .then((comment) => {
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ module.exports = class CommentsService {
         item_id: id,
         item_type: 'COMMENTS',
         user_id: assigned_by,
+        privacy_type
       });
     });
   }
diff --git a/services/tags.js b/services/tags.js
index c4010e562..5cd0a09e1 100644
--- a/services/tags.js
+++ b/services/tags.js
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ const ALLOWED_COMMENT_TAGS = [
   {name: 'BEST'},
 ];
 
+const ALLOWED_PRIVACY_TYPE = [
+  {privacy_type: 'PUBLIC'},
+  {privacy_type: 'SELF'},
+  {privacy_type: 'ADMIN'}
+];
+
 module.exports = class TagsService {
 
   /**
@@ -59,15 +65,9 @@ module.exports = class TagsService {
       return Promise.reject(new Error('tag not allowed'));
     }
 
-    // // Tags are made unique by using a query that can be reproducable, i.e.,
-    // // not containing user inputable values.
-    // let query = {
-    //   name: tag.name,
-    //   item_id: tag.item_id,
-    //   item_type: tag.item_type,
-    //   assigned_by: tag.user_id,
-    //   privacy_type: tag.privacy_type
-    // };
+    if (ALLOWED_PRIVACY_TYPE.find((p) => p.privacy_type === tag.privacy_type) == null) {
+      return Promise.reject(new Error('privacy type not allowed'));
+    }
 
     // Create/Update the tag.
     let newtag = new TagModel({
diff --git a/test/server/graph/mutations/addCommentTag.js b/test/server/graph/mutations/addCommentTag.js
index 063537004..01966bd88 100644
--- a/test/server/graph/mutations/addCommentTag.js
+++ b/test/server/graph/mutations/addCommentTag.js
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ describe('graph.mutations.addCommentTag', () => {
   });
 
   const query = `
-    mutation AddCommentTag ($id: ID!, $tag: String!) {
-      addCommentTag(id:$id, tag:$tag) {
+    mutation AddCommentTag ($id: ID!, $tag: String!, $privacy_type: String!) {
+      addCommentTag(id:$id, tag:$tag, privacy_type:$privacy_type) {
         comment {
           id
         }
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe('graph.mutations.addCommentTag', () => {
   it('moderators can add tags to comments', async () => {
     const user = new UserModel({roles: ['MODERATOR' ]});
     const context = new Context({user});
-    const response = await graphql(schema, query, {}, context, {id: comment.id, tag: 'BEST'});
+    const response = await graphql(schema, query, {}, context, {id: comment.id, tag: 'BEST', privacy_type: 'PUBLIC'});
     if (response.errors && response.errors.length) {
       console.error(response.errors);
     }
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe('graph.mutations.addCommentTag', () => {
     }).forEach(([ userDescription, user ]) => {
       it(userDescription, async function () {
         const context = new Context({user});
-        const response = await graphql(schema, query, {}, context, {id: comment.id, tag: 'BEST'});
+        const response = await graphql(schema, query, {}, context, {id: comment.id, tag: 'BEST', privacy_type: 'PUBLIC'});
         if (response.errors && response.errors.length) {
           console.error(response.errors);
         }
diff --git a/test/server/graph/mutations/removeCommentTag.js b/test/server/graph/mutations/removeCommentTag.js
index 4455a0108..7660eef35 100644
--- a/test/server/graph/mutations/removeCommentTag.js
+++ b/test/server/graph/mutations/removeCommentTag.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ describe('graph.mutations.removeCommentTag', () => {
     const context = new Context({user});
 
     // add a tag first
-    await CommentsService.addTag(comment.id, 'BEST');
+    await CommentsService.addTag(comment.id, 'BEST', user.id, 'PUBLIC');
     const response = await graphql(schema, query, {}, context, {id: comment.id, tag: 'BEST'});
     if (response.errors && response.errors.length) {
       console.error(response.errors);
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ describe('graph.mutations.removeCommentTag', () => {
         const context = new Context({user});
 
         // add a tag first
-        await CommentsService.addTag(comment.id, 'BEST');
+        await CommentsService.addTag(comment.id, 'BEST', user ? user.id : null, 'PUBLIC');
         const response = await graphql(schema, query, {}, context, {id: comment.id, tag: 'BEST'});
         if (response.errors && response.errors.length) {
           console.error(response.errors);
diff --git a/test/server/services/comments.js b/test/server/services/comments.js
index 952e071a3..d4fc5f17e 100644
--- a/test/server/services/comments.js
+++ b/test/server/services/comments.js
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ describe('services.CommentsService', () => {
       const commentId = comments[0].id;
       const tagName = 'BEST';
       const userId = users[0].id;
-      await CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId);
+      await CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId, 'PUBLIC');
       const tags = await TagService.findByItemIdAndName(commentId, 'BEST', 'COMMENTS');
       expect(tags.length).to.equal(1);
       expect(tags[0].name).to.equal(tagName);
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ describe('services.CommentsService', () => {
       const tagName = 'BEST';
       const userId = users[0].id;
 
-      await expect(CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId)).to.be.rejected;
+      await expect(CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId, 'PUBLIC')).to.be.rejected;
     });
     it('can\'t add same tag.name twice', async () => {
       const commentId = comments[0].id;
@@ -245,10 +245,10 @@ describe('services.CommentsService', () => {
       const userId = users[0].id;
 
       // first time
-      await CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId);
+      await CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId, 'PUBLIC');
 
       // second time should fail
-      await expect(CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId)).to.be.rejected;
+      await expect(CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, userId, 'PUBLIC')).to.be.rejected;
     });
   });
 
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ describe('services.CommentsService', () => {
     it('removes a tag', async () => {
       const commentId = comments[0].id;
       const tagName = 'BEST';
-      await CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, users[0].id);
+      await CommentsService.addTag(commentId, tagName, users[0].id, 'PUBLIC');
       const tags = await TagService.findByItemIdAndName(commentId, tagName, 'COMMENTS');
       expect(tags.length).to.equal(1);
 
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ describe('services.CommentsService', () => {
       // just make sure it has no tags to start
       const tags = await TagService.findByItemIdAndName(commentId, tagName, 'COMMENTS');
       expect(tags.length).to.equal(0);
-      
+
       // ok now to remove it
       await expect(CommentsService.removeTag(commentId, tagName)).to.be.rejected;
     });