Kofi
- 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 with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- The policy describes staff access for safety and legal checks.
Ko-fi collects account, payment, and device data, shares supporter details with creators, and can close accounts at any time.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account, payment, profile, usage, and device details like IP address and device ID.
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Privacy policy
“Technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating systems and platforms, device ID”
Training
They run the service, ads, analytics, tax reporting, and marketing, and may use your content to improve Ko-fi.
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Privacy policy
“To deliver relevant content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you”
Sharing
Creators get your name, email, and sometimes address; payment firms, login partners, and ad/analytics tools also see data.
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Privacy policy
“When you tip, subscribe to, or purchase from a Creator on Ko-fi, your personal information (such as your name, email address, and payment details) is shared with that Creator”
Kept
Purchase data can be kept 7 years; other account data 2 years after the account goes inactive.
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Privacy policy
“We delete information relating to purchases from us 7 years after your last order with us.”
Controls
You can request access or deletion via their help form, delete your account, and manage cookies and marketing.
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Privacy policy
“If you don't want us to use your personal data for any of the other reasons, you can let us know at any time by contacting us at help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/requests/new”
Fine print
Must be 18; they can close your account anytime; English law; service is as-is; creator fees can change.
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Terms of service
“We may terminate your Account at any time, immediately and without to you if we consider it necessary to do so, for any reason”
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.
Delete your Ko-fi account
https://ko-fi.com/Manage/DeleteAccount
Request access or deletion of your data
help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
Manage cookies and ad tracking
Cookie settings / browser settings; they also recognise Global Privacy Control (GPC)
Cancel a creator subscription before deleting
Cancel using the cancellation rights shown on Ko-fi; deleting the account alone will not stop recurring payments
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Tipping or buying means they send your details to the creator, and you cannot use Ko-fi without that.
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Privacy policy
“If you do not wish for information to be disclosed to a Creator, please do not use Ko-fi.”
For example, if you send a tip, the creator can get your name and email and email you off the site.
They can shut your account right away for almost any reason they choose.
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Terms of service
“We may terminate your Account at any time, immediately and without to you if we consider it necessary to do so, for any reason”
For example, they could ban your page and you would lose access even if you disagree.
What you post is treated as not secret, and they and other users get a licence to use it.
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Terms of service
“Any content you upload to Ko-fi will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary.”
For example, a supporter message that is not marked private may be shown elsewhere on Ko-fi.
If your uploads cause legal trouble, you may have to pay their costs.
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Terms of service
“You will be to us and us for any breach of that .”
For example, if you post someone else’s photo without permission, you could owe Ko-fi legal fees.
Even after you leave, purchase records can stay for many years for tax and accounting.
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Privacy policy
“We delete information relating to purchases from us 7 years after your last order with us.”
For example, a shop order from 2026 could still be on file in 2033.
Cookies and ad partners can track you across sites for ads, which California treats as sharing.
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Privacy policy
“In certain circumstances, the use of these technologies may constitute "sharing" of Personal Information for cross-context behavioural advertising under California law.”
For example, an ad network could use Ko-fi browsing to show you ads on another website.
They do not promise the site will work or that creator content is accurate.
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Terms of service
“The materials on Ko-fi are provided "as is". We make no , representations or guarantees”
For example, if a creator never ships an item, Ko-fi says that dispute is not their problem.
They can raise or add creator fees later.
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Terms of service
“We reserve the right at any time in the future to: (1) change our existing fees for any type of subscription, service and Ko-fi feature”
For example, a Gold plan or tip fee could cost more next year.
Only adults are allowed, but they do not describe extra age checks.
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Terms of service
“You must be 18 years old or older to use Ko-fi and create an Account.”
For example, a 16-year-old could still type that they are 18 when signing up.
They say they limit who can see your data and try to keep it safe, but they do not guarantee internet security.
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Privacy policy
“We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed.”
For example, staff are supposed to access your data only if they need it for their job.
Disputes go to English courts.
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Terms of service
“You and we agree to the exclusive of the courts of England.”
For example.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- device identifiers
- Codes that single out your phone or computer, used to recognise you across apps and sites. For example, the advertising ID on your phone lets two unrelated apps know they are seeing the same person.
- 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.
- limitation of liability
- A cap on what the company will ever pay you if something goes wrong, often only what you paid in the last year. For example, if a leak of your data costs you thousands, the most you may get back is a month's subscription fee.
- 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.
- warranty
- A promise that a product will work as described; most apps say they make no such promise at all. For example, if a paid feature never works on your phone, a no-warranty clause says that is your problem.
- targeted advertising
- Ads chosen for you based on what you have done across other apps and websites, not just this one. For example, you look at shoes in one app and see shoe ads in a totally different app the next day.
- as is
- You get the service in whatever state it is in, with no promise that it works or will keep working. For example, if the app deletes your photos by mistake, it is not promising to fix that or pay you back.
- venue
- The specific court or city where any lawsuit must be filed, which may be far from where you live. For example, a user in Florida may have to travel to a court in San Francisco to sue.
- 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 C · score 42/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 3 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account, contact, payment, profile, usage, and technical data including IP address and device ID, plus cookies.
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?
They say they may use automatic systems and human review to check for illegal content such as child sexual abuse and terrorism.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use advertising and targeting cookies and third-party analytics, which California law may treat as sharing for ads.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they do not sell data for money, but they share supporter details with creators and may share via ad cookies, with cookie and GPC opt-outs.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership, but you give them and other users a limited licence to use, store, copy, and share your uploads, including to improve Ko-fi.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can request deletion or delete your account, but purchase data is kept 7 years and other account data 2 years after inactivity.
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 describe access limits and confidentiality, but say internet transmission is not fully secure.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be 18 or older to use Ko-fi and create an account. No extra age-check method is described.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Both policies are dated. They say they will notify you of substantial or appropriate updates, but not a fixed advance period.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may terminate your account immediately for any reason they consider necessary, and only give notice when they think it is appropriate.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is with broad liability exclusions, and creators must indemnify Ko-fi for content and supporter data they handle.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Creator subscriptions recur until you cancel through their process; they may change fees and say they refund unused time if they discontinue a plan.
The privacy policy is 4,830 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 40.6); the terms are 6,539 words at a college level.
