diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/topic.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/topic.py
index 75ae289..5016686 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/topic.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/topic.py
@@ -19,35 +19,74 @@ from tildes.views.api.beta.api_utils import (
 from tildes.views.api.beta.comment import comment_subtree_to_api_dict
 
 
-def topic_to_api_dict(topic: Topic) -> dict:
+def topic_to_api_dict(request: Request, topic: Topic) -> dict:
     """Convert a Topic object to a dictionary for JSON serialization.
 
     The schema is defined in our OpenAPI YAML file.
     """
+
+    # Some fields do not require permissions
+    topic_id = topic.topic_id36
+    title = topic.title
+    comments_url = topic.permalink
+    group = str(topic.group.path)
+    created_at = topic.created_time.isoformat()
+    edited_at = topic.last_edited_time.isoformat() if topic.last_edited_time else None
+    vote_count = topic.num_votes
+    comment_count = topic.num_comments
+    new_comment_count = topic.comments_since_last_visit
+    official = topic.is_official
+    tags = topic.tags
+    last_visited_at = (
+        topic.last_visit_time.isoformat() if topic.last_visit_time else None
+    )
+
+    # Check permissions for viewing topic details (and set safe defaults)
+    text_html = None
+    url = None
+    content_metadata = None
+    posted_by_user = "unknown user"
+    voted = False
+    bookmarked = False
+    ignored = False
+
+    if request.has_permission("view_content", topic):
+        text_html = topic.rendered_html
+        url = topic.link
+        content_metadata = topic.content_metadata_for_display
+
+    if request.has_permission("view_author", topic):
+        posted_by_user = topic.user.username
+
+    if request.has_permission("vote", topic):
+        voted = topic.user_voted
+
+    if request.has_permission("bookmark", topic):
+        bookmarked = topic.user_bookmarked
+
+    if request.has_permission("ignore", topic):
+        ignored = topic.user_ignored
+
     return {
-        "id": topic.topic_id36,
-        "title": topic.title,
-        "text_html": topic.rendered_html,
-        "url": topic.link,
-        "comments_url": topic.permalink,
-        "group": str(topic.group.path),
-        "content_metadata": topic.content_metadata_for_display,
-        "created_at": topic.created_time.isoformat(),
-        "edited_at": (
-            topic.last_edited_time.isoformat() if topic.last_edited_time else None
-        ),
-        "posted_by_user": topic.user.username,
-        "vote_count": topic.num_votes,
-        "comment_count": topic.num_comments,
-        "new_comment_count": topic.comments_since_last_visit,
-        "voted": topic.user_voted,
-        "bookmarked": topic.user_bookmarked,
-        "ignored": topic.user_ignored,
-        "official": topic.is_official,
-        "tags": topic.tags,
-        "last_visited_at": (
-            topic.last_visit_time.isoformat() if topic.last_visit_time else None
-        ),
+        "id": topic_id,
+        "title": title,
+        "text_html": text_html,
+        "url": url,
+        "comments_url": comments_url,
+        "group": group,
+        "content_metadata": content_metadata,
+        "created_at": created_at,
+        "edited_at": edited_at,
+        "posted_by_user": posted_by_user,
+        "vote_count": vote_count,
+        "comment_count": comment_count,
+        "new_comment_count": new_comment_count,
+        "voted": voted,
+        "bookmarked": bookmarked,
+        "ignored": ignored,
+        "official": official,
+        "tags": tags,
+        "last_visited_at": last_visited_at,
     }
 
 
@@ -100,7 +139,7 @@ def get_topics(request: Request) -> dict | Response:  # noqa: MC0001
 
     # Build the JSON topic data
     for topic in topics:
-        processed_topic = topic_to_api_dict(topic)
+        processed_topic = topic_to_api_dict(request, topic)
         processed_topics.append(processed_topic)
 
     # Construct the paging next and previous link if there are more topics
@@ -171,7 +210,7 @@ def get_topic(request: Request) -> dict | Response:
 
     # Construct the final response JSON object
     response = {
-        "topic": topic_to_api_dict(topic),
+        "topic": topic_to_api_dict(request, topic),
         "comments": commentsjson,
     }
     return response
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/user.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/user.py
index 36ce682..3b65bf7 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/beta/user.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def get_user(request: Request) -> dict | Response:  # noqa: MC0001
     processed_results = []
     for item in combined_results.results:
         if isinstance(item, Topic):
-            processed_results.append(topic_to_api_dict(item))
+            processed_results.append(topic_to_api_dict(request, item))
         elif isinstance(item, Comment):
             processed_results.append(comment_to_api_dict(request, item))
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def get_user_topics(request: Request) -> dict | Response:
     # Build the JSON history data
     processed_topics = []
     for topic in query_result.results:
-        processed_topics.append(topic_to_api_dict(topic))
+        processed_topics.append(topic_to_api_dict(request, topic))
 
     # Construct the paging next and previous link if there are more topics
     (next_link, prev_link) = get_next_and_prev_link(request, query_result)