People tell AI companions things they don't tell anyone else. That's part of the appeal, and it's exactly why privacy matters. Before you share anything personal with a companion app, run through these ten questions. Most can be answered in five minutes from the app's privacy policy and settings.
The checklist
1. Who can read my conversations?
Look for a plain statement of who has access: other users, staff, contractors, AI providers. "We may review conversations to improve our service" means people might read them. Conversations should never be visible to other users unless you choose to share them.
2. Are my chats used to train AI models?
Some apps use conversations to train their own models; others send them to an AI provider whose terms decide what happens next. Look for a clear yes or no, and for an opt-out if the answer is yes.
3. Is my data sold or used for advertising?
Check whether the app sells personal information or shares it with advertisers, and whether conversations are used to target ads. The safest answer is "never" in both cases.
4. Can I see what it remembers about me?
A companion with long-term memory keeps notes about you. You should be able to read those notes, not just trust that they exist. See how AI companion memory works.
5. Can I delete individual memories, chats and my whole account?
Deleting should be possible at three levels: one memory, one conversation, and everything. Check that account deletion is something you can do yourself, not only by emailing support.
6. Can I download my data?
A data export lets you keep your history and characters if you leave, or if the app shuts down. Check how to request it and how long it takes. Some apps take weeks. Our guide to exporting Character.AI chats shows why it's worth doing early.
7. Is my data encrypted?
Look for encryption in transit (an https address) and, ideally, encryption at rest for the most sensitive data, such as messages and memories.
8. What happens if the company is sold or closes?
Privacy policies usually say that data can transfer to a buyer. Know that this is possible, keep your own export, and read the new terms if ownership changes.
9. Does it check that users are adults?
Companion apps built for adults should say so and ask for confirmation of age. It's a sign the app takes its responsibilities seriously, and it keeps the community what it says it is.
10. Is there a clear way to get help?
Look for a contact address for privacy requests, and for clear guidance if a conversation ever turns to self-harm or crisis.
Habits that protect you on any app
- Don't share passwords, card numbers, ID numbers or your exact address in any chat, ever.
- Use a unique password for your companion account.
- Be careful with photos of yourself or other people; once uploaded, you depend on the app to delete them.
- Review memories now and then, and delete what you no longer want kept.
- Keep an export of anything you'd hate to lose.
How NuraMate answers the checklist
- Who can read chats: your conversations are never shown to other users. To write replies, your recent messages and relevant memories are sent to our AI provider, OpenAI, through its API; API data is not used to train their models by default.
- Ads and selling data: we never sell or share your personal information for advertising, and never use conversations for ads.
- Memory: see, correct, pin or delete anything your companion remembers.
- Deletion and export: download everything we store about you as a ZIP file, or delete your account, from your account page.
- Encryption: https everywhere, and messages and memories are encrypted in our database.
- Adults only: NuraMate is 18+ and non-explicit.
The details are in our privacy policy and safety page.
This checklist is general information, not legal advice. Privacy laws differ by country; your local rules may give you more rights, such as access and deletion requests.
