Patreon
- 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.
Patreon collects lots of usage and profile data, shares it with creators, auto-renews with almost no refunds, and can close you anytime.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account and payment info, messages, device IDs, IP, clicks, searches, and sometimes survey demographics.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We automatically receive information when you view creations on or otherwise interact with Patreon, even if you have not created an account.”
Training
They run the platform, personalize it, market with interest-based ads, and review activity to stop fraud.
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Privacy policy
“market Patreon products and services to you or to audiences similar to you, including via personalized advertising (also referred to as online behavioral advertising or interest-based advertising) as controlled by your marketing preferences;”
Sharing
Creators, communities, the public (if settings allow), service providers, ads partners, and sometimes law enforcement.
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Privacy policy
“We never sell your information to third parties. Other than information that is shared with creators, shared with communities on Patreon, or shared publicly, we will only share data with third parties under the following circumstances:”
Kept
They keep it until they no longer need it or you ask to delete; some records can stay for the law.
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Privacy policy
“Patreon stores your personal data until it is no longer necessary to provide our services, or until you ask us to delete it.”
Controls
Settings, marketing opt-out, and a Privacy Center button to access, port, or erase your data.
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Privacy policy
“access your personal data, port it, or delete it data by clicking on the "Make a Privacy Request" button at the Patreon Privacy Center;”
Fine print
Subscriptions auto-renew with almost no refunds; they can close you anytime; you them; California courts.
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Terms of service
“We can terminate or suspend your account at any time at our sole discretion.”
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.
Cancel auto-renewing memberships
Membership settings (cancel via your membership settings)
Request access, port, or erase your data
Patreon Privacy Center → “Make a Privacy Request” (or privacy@patreon.com)
Turn off marketing emails and interest-based ads
Account settings for marketing; https://optout.aboutads.info and device ad settings
Tighten what communities and the public see
Settings in the left nav on patreon.com or via avatar in the apps; community profile and activity visibility
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 get a forever license to copy, show, and anything you post, even after you leave.
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Terms of service
“By making creations available on Patreon or otherwise posting on Patreon, you grant us a , , , non-exclusive, , worldwide license covering your imports, creations, and what you post”
For example, a comment or photo you posted could still be used to run or promote Patreon after you delete your account.
If they get sued because of something you did on Patreon, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You will us from all losses and liabilities, including legal fees, that arise from these Terms or relate to your use of Patreon.”
For example, if a post you made leads to a lawsuit against Patreon, they can ask you to cover their lawyers.
Paid memberships generally are not refunded, even if you lose access.
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Terms of service
“Our policy is not to provide refunds, including if you lose access to offerings and/or membership subscription benefits as described above, though we may allow for some exceptions where refunds are granted at our sole discretion.”
For example, if a creator leaves or your payment fails and you lose posts you paid for, you usually do not get money back.
They can shut your account without promising a warning or a chance to export first.
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Terms of service
“We can terminate or suspend your account at any time at our sole discretion.”
For example, they could disable your page and you might lose access to paid posts the same day.
Supporting a creator often sends them your name, email, and purchase details.
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Privacy policy
“When you subscribe, purchase a membership or offering on Patreon that is offered by a creator, or otherwise become a member of a creator, you share personal data with that creator that may include:”
For example, a creator you join can receive your email and see that you paid for a tier.
Optional event surveys can collect sensitive personal details if you answer them.
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Privacy policy
“we may ask you for demographic information, including information related to your gender identity, ethnicity, race, age, sexual orientation, earnings, and accessibility, which you may optionally choose to provide.”
For example, filling out an event survey could store your sexual orientation with Patreon.
Outside ad companies can help target marketing at you unless you opt out.
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Privacy policy
“We may work with third-party advertising partners to market our services.”
For example, you might see Patreon ads on other sites based on your activity.
People at Patreon can look at activity when they think there is fraud or rule-breaking.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“prevent fraud, abuse, violations of our terms and policies, and other harmful, suspicious, or illegal activities, including using automated processing and manual review;”
For example, a flagged message or payment could be read by a reviewer.
They say they do not sell your personal information.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We never sell your information to third parties.”
For example, they claim they will not sell a list of your email and interests as a product.
Paid memberships keep charging until you cancel in settings.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Each type of paid subscription automatically renews monthly (for monthly and per-creation memberships) or annually (for annual memberships) until you cancel via your membership settings.”
For example, a yearly pledge bills again next year unless you cancel first.
Kids under 13 cannot use it; buying or creating generally needs 18 or a parent’s OK, based on what you say.
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Privacy policy
“You must be at least 18 years old or have your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission to have a creator page on Patreon or to purchase an offering or subscription on Patreon.”
For example, a 16-year-old is told they need a parent to buy a membership.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- 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.
- 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.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- 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.
- worldwide license
- You let the company use your content anywhere on earth, usually for free and for as long as it likes. For example, a video you post can be shown in ads in any country without asking you again.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- auto-renewal
- Your subscription keeps charging you at the end of each period until you cancel it. For example, a free trial turns into a paid monthly plan unless you cancel before it ends.
How we got here · grade D · score 39/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 2 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and payment data plus IP, device IDs, searches, clicks, social graphs, messages, and optional sensitive survey answers.
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 people may manually review activity to prevent fraud, abuse, and illegal activity.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use personalized and interest-based ads and work with third-party advertising partners, with some opt-outs.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they never sell data, but they share it with creators, communities, service providers, ad partners, and industry peers; marketing has an opt-out.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership, but you grant a perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable worldwide license to what you post.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can ask to delete through the Privacy Center or email; they keep data until it is not needed and may keep some after deletion for the law. No 30- or 90-day wipe is stated.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They make inferences such as age and gender and personalize recommendations; they do not describe a memory you can view or turn off.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They say they follow industry standards and point to a Security Policy page; no audit or leak history is in these documents.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be 13 to use Patreon and generally 18 (or have a parent’s permission) to buy or create; they do not describe strong age checks for all users.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The privacy policy is dated. For material changes they try to email or text you, and existing users get up to 60 days before it takes effect.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can terminate or suspend your account at any time at their sole discretion. You can delete via the Privacy Center.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is, their payout if they are liable is capped, and you must indemnify them for losses related to your use.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Paid subscriptions auto-renew until you cancel in membership settings, and their policy is not to provide refunds except at their discretion.
The privacy policy is 7,700 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 37.9); the terms are 6,832 words at a college graduate level.
