AI Companion Privacy Checklist (2026): 7 Things to Verify Before You Pay
Before paying for any AI companion app, verify seven things: data export, permanent deletion, whether chats train the model, encryption, payment privacy, account-less or anonymous sign-up options, and the company’s regulatory record. Kindroid currently scores best on these; always confirm on the app’s own privacy page.
Use this checklist before you pay for any AI companion app. Each item maps to something you can verify on the app’s own privacy policy — not a third-party summary. It expands the four-question test in our safety guide into a practical pre-purchase routine.
The 7-point checklist
- Export. Can you download your full chat history in a usable format?
- Deletion. Can you permanently delete your data, and is there a stated timeline for it being purged from backups?
- Training opt-out. Are your conversations used to train the underlying model? Is there an opt-out, or a default no-train policy?
- Encryption. Is data encrypted in transit and at rest? Are “private” chats handled differently?
- Payment privacy. How does billing appear on your statement? (Candy AI, for example, bills as “Everai.”) Does the processor receive more than necessary?
- Sign-up footprint. Can you use the app without linking more identity than you’re comfortable with?
- Regulatory record. Has the company faced fines, complaints or lawsuits? (See Replika’s GDPR fine and FTC complaint, and Character.AI’s safety lawsuits.)
How the leading apps score on privacy
| App | Privacy posture | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kindroid | Strongest | Encrypted private chats; states it does not train base models on your chats |
| Nomi AI | Standard | Data used to improve the AI; no strong E2E encryption |
| Candy AI | Standard | Billing appears as “Everai”; check export/deletion |
| Character.AI | Standard | 2026 changes focused on age assurance |
| Replika | Most history | €5M GDPR fine; active FTC complaint; 2026 state laws |
See the full methodology for how privacy is weighted (20% of the total score).
A quick rule of thumb
If an app can’t clearly answer export, deletion and training in its own policy, treat that as a red flag — those three are the baseline for an intimate-conversation product in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before subscribing to an AI companion app?
Check that you can export and permanently delete your data, whether your chats are used for training, whether data is encrypted, how billing appears on your statement, and the company’s regulatory record. Run these checks on the app’s own privacy policy, not third-party summaries.
Do AI companion apps train on my conversations?
Some do and some don’t. Several apps use conversations to "improve the AI." Kindroid states it does not train base models on your conversations, which is currently the strongest stated position among the apps we rank.