Kickstarter
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared only with the providers who run the service.
- The documents do not say who can read your content.
Old Kickstarter rules: public backing, a huge content license, no refunds, and they can close you without notice.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Name, email, address, phone, pledges, comments, IP address, and device or browser type.
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Privacy policy
“information about your activity on and interaction with Kickstarter, such as your IP address and the type of device or browser you use;”
Training
They run the site, send marketing if you allow it, and show projects based on location and past use.
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Privacy policy
“present projects to you when you use the Services which we believe will be of interest based on your geographic location and previous use of the Services;”
Sharing
They say they do not sell data; payment partners and project creators still get some of it.
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Privacy policy
“We do not and will not sell your data.”
Kept
You can edit your profile; they may still keep some information for law or business.
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Privacy policy
“To modify or delete the personal information you have provided to us, please log in and update your profile. We may retain certain information as required by law or for necessary business purposes.”
Controls
Turn off marketing email, skip Google Analytics, and update your profile while logged in.
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Privacy policy
“You will also receive certain marketing email communications, in accordance with your preferences, and from which you may opt out at any time.”
Fine print
Huge license on your posts, no Kickstarter refunds, $100 cap, and they can close you with no notice.
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Terms of service
“The Company may terminate your access to the Service, without cause or notice, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with your account.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Update or delete profile information
Log in and update your profile (privacy Wrap-up section)
Opt out of marketing emails
Email preferences described in the Email section of the privacy policy
Opt out of Google Analytics
The Google Analytics opt-out link mentioned under What’s Shared Only with Creators
Read the current policy instead
Links on these pages that say this version is outdated / applies only to old projects
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
They keep a forever license to use, change, sell, and anything you upload, even after you leave.
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Terms of service
“You grant to the Company the worldwide, non-exclusive, , , , , transferable right to (and to allow others acting on its behalf to) (i) use, edit, modify, prepare derivative works of, reproduce, host, display, stream, transmit, playback, transcode, copy, feature, market, sell, distribute, and otherwise fully exploit your User Submissions”
For example, a project video you posted could still be used in Kickstarter marketing years later.
They can shut your account for any reason without warning, and your stuff on the account may be gone.
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Terms of service
“The Company may terminate your access to the Service, without cause or notice, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with your account.”
For example, a campaign page and comments could disappear overnight with no email first.
Kickstarter itself will not refund pledges; you deal with the creator.
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Terms of service
“Kickstarter does not offer refunds. A Project Creator is not required to grant a Backer’s request for a refund unless the Project Creator is unable or unwilling to fulfill the reward.”
For example, if a project ships late, you cannot get money back from Kickstarter.
If your use of the site causes a lawsuit, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You shall , and the Company, its affiliates, and each of its and its affiliates’ employees, contractors, directors, suppliers, and representatives from all liabilities, claims, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees”
For example, if someone sues over a comment you posted, you might have to cover Kickstarter’s lawyers.
If they mess up, they say they will not pay more than $100 in direct damages.
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Terms of service
“for any direct damages in excess of (in the aggregate) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100.00).”
For example, even if a site error cost you a large pledge, they cap their payout at $100.
If they change the rules and you keep using the site, they treat that as you agreeing.
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Terms of service
“Your continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to the Terms of Use constitutes acceptance of those changes.”
For example, they could post new terms and you would be bound the next time you log in.
Successful project creators get your email so they can contact you about rewards.
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Privacy policy
“If a project you have backed is successfully funded, the creator will receive the email address associated with your Kickstarter account.”
For example, after a campaign funds, the creator can email you for a shipping address.
They say they will not sell your personal information.
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Privacy policy
“We do not and will not sell your data.”
For example, they claim they will not sell a list of backers to a marketing company.
You must be 18 (or legal adult where you live). They do not describe extra teen protections.
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Privacy policy
“People under 18 (or the legal age in your ) are not permitted to use Kickstarter on their own, and so this privacy policy makes no provision for their use of Kickstarter.”
For example, a 16-year-old is not supposed to have their own account.
They use Google Analytics on project traffic; you can opt out of that tracking.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“You can choose not to be included in Google Analytics here.”
For example, you can follow their Analytics opt-out so your visits are not in those reports.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- retention
- How long a company keeps your data before deleting it. For example, a policy might keep your messages for 30 days after you delete them, or for as long as it likes.
- opt out
- Something is on by default and stays on until you find the setting and turn it off. For example, your chats may be used for training unless you go into settings and switch it off.
- perpetual
- Lasting forever, with no end date. For example, a perpetual licence means the company can keep using your video years after you leave.
- irrevocable
- Cannot be taken back or cancelled once given, even if you change your mind or delete your account. For example, an irrevocable licence to your photos means you cannot withdraw it later.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
- sublicensable
- The company can pass its rights over your content on to other companies without asking you. For example, an app can let an advertiser or a partner reuse your video under the licence you gave.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- service providers
- Outside companies that handle your data on the app's instructions, such as a cloud host or an email sender. For example, the company that stores the app's files in the cloud sees your data but only does what the app tells it.
- governing law
- Which country's or state's laws are used to settle any dispute, no matter where you live. For example, a user in Ohio may find the terms are judged under California law.
How we got here · grade D · score 36/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 4 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and form data plus activity, IP address, and device or browser type.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
Not stated in the documents.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
Not stated in the documents.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
Not stated in the documents.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use Google Analytics and show projects based on location and past use; marketing email has an opt-out.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they do not sell data and share with processors needed to run the service; funded creators also get backer emails.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership, but you grant a perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable license to fully exploit what you post.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You log in to update or delete profile info; they may keep some data for law or business, with no set deadline.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
Not stated in the documents.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They say they take security seriously but do not describe audits or concrete measures.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be at least 18 (or legal age). They may ask for proof of age but it is mainly a stated minimum.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
They can replace the terms by posting them; keeping using the site means you accept.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may end access without cause or notice, and information on the account may be forfeited and destroyed.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is, damages are capped at $100, and you must indemnify them for claims from your use.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Joining is free but fees apply; Kickstarter does not offer refunds and fees paid to them are non-refundable.
The privacy policy is 1,761 words at a professional or legal expert level (Flesch reading ease 0); the terms are 5,770 words at a professional or legal expert level.
